Because She Trusted Him
by thegoodgirldoll
Summary: She didn't jump, she climbed on the old broken door, and she fell asleep...Because she trusted him...And after all these years of trusting him, it always goes back to that night; that voyage. She had never expected to fall this madly in love with him.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I have never written a Titanic fanfiction, so I hope that this first one of mine does the characters justice, and that you enjoy it. Feedback is immensely appreciated! Review, PM me, etc. (: The chapters will get longer as we go along! If people like it, that is, hee hee. **

**God Bless,**

**Sarah. **

The Titanic seemed unsinkable from the beginning, though it fought hard to prove that theory wrong.

Rose clung for her life to the side railing as they hung above the icy depths of the ocean. The view she had now, and her impending drowning were quite different than that of almost two weeks ago, when she had been _wanting _to fall to her death. It would have been easy enough; everyone could have thought she slipped, and then all of the restraints on her would be gone…The social class and properness that hung over her head would vanish, and she would be free. Wherever 'free' was. But then he came along.

Jack gripped his fingers tightly with hers as he held onto the railing as well, yelling things about holding her breath, and closing her eyes. She could do nothing but nod and stare into his eyes before she felt the ice cold water graze her toes: Then, it all went fast. Very fast. She held her breath as he had told her to, but lost grip of his sweaty palm as she was plunged violently under. She couldn't tell which way was the way up, or which would take her farther down, but she knew she was far under. She pushed herself as quickly as she could to the surface once she had gotten her bearings about her. The water was creating thousands of what felt like tiny knives all over her body, just as Jack said it would feel if she jumped over-board that night. In all honesty, she had been under the impression he was making up a horror story to scare her with, and really just not wanting to deal with being a witness to her death. Either way, it was true: This was the worst horror story she could ever have landed herself in, and she was terrified. He had told her that night that if she jumped, he'd jump. Thankfully, he was there with her now, just as he had given his word for- but he wasn't right next to her as he had been that night, and she was beginning to panic.

She tried yelling out his name, but her voice was hoarse; strangled in sound. She couldn't cry, and she wouldn't. The water was too cold, and she could hardly feel anymore. She continued trying to scream for him, all the while scanning the water for an open, makeshift 'raft'. That second, she was pushed forcefully underwater as someone tried to uphold themselves by drowning her in the icy slush of ice and liquid. After a few moments of her futile struggling, the grip on her shoulders released though, and she was pulled roughly to the surface. Opening her eyes that had been pressed together firmly, she looked into Jack's eyes, and threw her arms around his neck. He hugged her back eagerly, but quickly let go, pulling her hand as he drug her through the icy slush-like water. She knew he was trying to get them out of the thick of things, but it was so hard for her to keep up with him, and she becoming tired; numb.

"Jack, I can't feel my legs." She said quietly as he helped her onto a long, wooden door floating away from the others.

"I can't feel mine either, but it's okay, I promise. That's normal. It'll all be over soon."

"Over?"

"We'll be _safe." _He corrected. "Nothing will be over; I'm not leaving you." He replied, climbing onto the wooden door as well. She put his hand on his back, and tried to help steady him, but it was no use: The door was apt to flip over if he tried to scale it, so he had no choice but to stay floating in the ice if he wanted to keep Rose alive, and that is what he wanted more than anything.

"Jack, try again." She urged quietly, teeth chattering.

"No, no, Rose, you just stay steady, okay? I'm right here." He said, crossing his arms across the edge of the door. He floated there, staying afloat as he stared into her eyes. Her nose was red; freezing cold. Her hair was covered in ice, and her lips were blue. Jack noticed she was shaking, but she already had clothing covering her, and she was out of the water, which was the best thing for her. He took a painful breath, the cold air cutting through his throat like a knife, and forced a smile.

"Are you comfortable?"

"As comfortable as can be, I suppose." She replied.

Jack smiled and reached out a hand to grasp hers with. "This isn't as luxurious as they say, you know. I intend on writing these White Star Line people a strongly worded letter."

Rose smiled ever so slightly, but fear was still etched in her face. Jack wished more than anything that he could remove that fear, but he couldn't blame her. He was worried about her too, and she wasn't even the one in the water. After a few moments, he began to hum quietly to her: loud enough for her to hear, but low enough so as not to attract people over to them. Eventually, though, the cold got to him, and he was forced to stop. His body shook so violently that he was glad she couldn't see his whole frame. His lower body was almost full of tremors; he was shaking, twitching, freezing. He took in another inhale of a deep, knife-like breath, and rested his head against the wood.

"Go to sleep, Rose. When you wake up, I promise we'll be out of the water, and I'll be next to you."

Against her better judgment, she obliged. Because she trusted him.

**Author's Note: It ended a little cliff hanger-ish, and the story itself will be different than the movie, which is why the dialogue, etc, varied. Anyway, I hope you liked it, and that I did good for my first attempt! Review please! **

**God Bless,**

**Sarah. **


	2. Chapter 2

Just as Jack had promised, they were out of the water by the time Rose awoke. She opened her eyes slowly as sun shined into her face. She looked around her, moving her stiff neck as gently as possible to avoid further pain. In reality, though, pain couldn't be avoided. Her body was aching, and she still found that she was shivering. She blinked furiously against the sun that was now burning her eyes, and looked up. She hadn't realized until now, that she was in someone's arms.

Jack's arms.

She stared into his face for a moment, trying to decide if he was real. Finally, after a few long moments of him simply staring back at her, he spoke.

"Goodmorning, glory." He said gently, moving a stray piece of hair out of her eyes.

She swallowed even though her throat was inflamed and painful.

"J-jack," she whispered weakly. "you're here."

He chuckled a little at that. "Where else would I be?"

Rose couldn't bring herself to reply the first thought that popped in her head. Of course, out there at the mercy of the ocean, she hadn't been sure he would survive, but she didn't want to say that. She simply smiled back, leaning into his embrace. Her wet hair saturated his shirt front, and she noticed then that he was shivering as well. She held him closer, pulling her blanket around his shoulder as she reached to wrap her arm around his neck.

"J-jack, where are we?"

"On the Carpathia. They picked up whoever was in the water. We should be home in another day or two, Rose."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"About half a day." He replied quietly.

"Have you been awake the whole time?"

"No, I slept for awhile on the smaller rescue boat, but when I woke up we were about to move onto the Carpathia, and I didn't want to wake you. One of the other men helped me get you onto the ship."

"You could've woken me." She replied, squeezing his shoulder with the little bit of strength she had inside her.

"I could have," he mused. "but I chose not to."

She didn't reply, but stared ahead as he ran his shaky hand through her hair. She smelled chicken broth antiseptic. She turned her head to see some people in the corner tending to people's minor wounds, and a man walking around with a pot of hot soup. She felt Jack's hand slip off her shoulder and saw that he was holding up a glass bowl. The man walked over to him and filled his bowl as he had the others, and the maid trailing behind him offered Jack a new spoon.

"Thank-you," he replied gratefully. "Here, Rose." He said gently, helping her into a sitting position. "Eat this, please."

"Why don't you?" She asked. "I can't have you losing sleep and strength."

"It's fine," he replied, putting the spoon in her hand. "I already had some. It's really good, just try it."

She obliged regretfully, and spooned some into her mouth carefully as he held the bowl for her. As she ate, she realized that he was shivering more so. She was about to move to wrap the blanket around him once more, but then realized that he wasn't shivering; he was rocking her. She sat still then clanking her spoon against the bowl as it fell against the now empty glass. She heard his humming then too, and when he realized she was listening, he began to sing. She felt warmth sustain her from the inside, out. The frost left her in that moment, as she listened to his voice.

_"__Come Josephine, in my flying machine. Going up, she goes! Up she goes!  
Balance yourself like a bird on a beam. In the air she goes; there she goes! Up, up, a little bit higher. Oh, my! The moon is on fire. Come, Josephine in my flying machine. Going up, all on, "Goodbye"_

He only sang that first verse, and when he was finished, he kissed her head softly.

"Jack?" She asked, raising her numb fingers to his lips.

He felt the cold of her fingers and grabbed her wrist, kissing them. "Yes?" He asked.

"Keep singing."

He obliged, and for the next few hours he sang to her on and off, lulling her to sleep, or soothing her as she lay awake. Never did she ask if he had seen her parents, or any of their family friends. Jack realized then that they were all each other had left. His closest friend was gone, and her family she had personally disowned. Jack swallowed thickly as he thought of what it would have been like if he hadn't made it out with her. He hated to think of her on this boat ride home alone. He stopped rocking then, seeing she had fallen asleep once more. He just watched her then, as she slept, as her chest fell and rose with breaths of life. He was worried at how cold she still remained, with the sun beaming down on them. Gingerly, he removed his own blanket and placed it over her. He had long since been warmed, at least more than her, and wanted to ensure her health. He shifted to readjust himself against the ship wall comfortably. He glanced around him. The ship deck was covered with people, lining the walls like him, or pressed together lying on the floor. He had overheard one of the men talking about everyone in the compartments as well, and assumed that many had been able to be rescued. Jack hadn't prayed often, and could probably count just how many times, and for what situations he had, but in that moment, he gave thanks. He gave thanks for Rose and himself being among those who had been saved.

Jack felt a pang of sadness at the thoughts he had had of Rose and Cal whilst on the ship. He had been so worried that she would choose Cal; stay trapped in the life her family chose for her. But she didn't. She had chosen him, and they had both made it out alive. He didn't care what condition he was in, whether it had sunk or not, that ship had provided an outlet for them to meet on. God had arranged something beautiful that day during his meager gambling, and while it had ended in disaster, the results were still more than he could have ever asked for. He was broken out of his reverie then by a man in a navy blue uniform, asking for their names.

"Dawson. Rose and Jack Dawson." He replied, smiling down at her.

The man smiled, and nodded to him. "Thank you, sir." He replied softly before moving on to the next cluster of survivors.

Rose stirred after that, and opened her eyes once more.

"That was your shortest nap yet." Jack stated, grinning.

"I know I wasn't asleep for long," she commented. "I just can't stay comfortable."

"Should we move?"

"No," she assured. "it isn't that I'm uncomfortable here, it's just-"

"-all too much," Jack offered. "this is all more than can be processed right now, I know."

She smiled gratefully. "Yes, I suppose that's what I meant to say." She agreed.

"You don't have to sleep, Rose," he began, resuming his stroking of her hair. "we can just talk, or sit like this."

"Were you in the water the whole time?" She asked.

Jack yawned. He wanted to sleep so terribly, but the thought of leaving her awake enabled him to stay alert. "Yes," He replied quietly.

"Why did you go to such great lengths to keep me alive? This whole trip, y-you've been saving me. First the night we met, now all of this," she said, trying to make sense of it all.

"Because I love you," he replied softer than his previous comment.

If he had been any quieter, she wouldn't have caught it. She sat there for a moment, completely still. Finally, her lips broke into a smile.

"I love you too, Jack."

The sun was steadily growing dimmer; casting it last shadows on the icy water. Rose watched as it went down. She had finally coaxed Jack to go to sleep, and now she was sitting upright, leaning her head on his shoulder as he slumped against the wall, snoring. She smiled slightly at that: it was the first time she had ever heard him snoring; watched him sleep. She breathed evenly as she stared out at the horizon. They had thrown their wet blankets to the side, in a heap with the others that had retained too much water to be used for warmth. Eventually, a young maid came up to her, offering her to new, arm blankets, and taking the clump of used ones into her arms. They'd be taken to the laundry chambers, dried, pressed, and handed back out. Rose took the blankets eagerly; it had been cold with the sopping blankets over them, but even colder with nothing atop them. She situated the blankets over both of them, careful not to wake Jack, and then leaned back against the wall.

Rose let her mind wander then to Titanic's maiden voyage; that first day, stepping on it for the first time. Rose didn't remember the smells, the sights, or the noises around her then, but when she remembered the night she met Jack, everything came back vividly. He had looked tired, ragged, but handsome. The stars were bright in contrast against a thick, dark sky. He smelled of cigarette smoke and a heavy musk. She heard the waves crashing against the ship, the occasional banging of a door, and his soothing voice. His voice had slowly lured her away from the ocean's heart that she so willingly wanted to throw herself into. Pitching herself off the ship would end her misery; the life that people were forcing her to live that she didn't want to. He had saved her; in every way someone could possibly be saved.

It was nearing 9 O'clock when Rose finally rested her head in Jack's lap to fall asleep. Her thoughts had been playing over in her mind for the last few hours, and she could no longer sit up. Fatigue was overcoming her, and she needed more sleep. She rested her head against Jack's thigh, and closed her eyes against his stomach. Their breathing synchronized evenly as they laid there, and she felt the gentle churning of the water beneath them. The boat was strong, so the movement was very subtle, but once in awhile you could tell. You could tell that they were still in the middle of the ocean. Rose closed her eyes and tried to ignore it. Soon, they would be home…Wherever home would end up being for them, that is. Rose gripped his shirt front tight, keeping the blanket secure around them, and hummed the song he had been singing to her quietly to herself as she willed herself to sleep. Jack remained quiet: his breathing even; his snoring gentle and sweet against her ears. Finally, she was able to fall asleep with his heartbeat as her lullaby.

Jack had awoken early the next morning, looking down to find Rose cuddled in his lap. To avoid waking her, he didn't move, and quietly asked the maid to put their breakfast plates on the deck next to them. She maid rested the entrees close to where they were sitting, and curtsied before walking away to feed the others. Jack glanced over at the food and his stomach grumbled longingly. They were two plates, both filled with equal eggs, sausage, and corn fritters. There was a small dish of maple syrup, and two small cups of glass filled with some sort of juice. Jack maneuvered himself to grab a sausage link, trying to no avail to keep Rose from waking. Her eyes fluttered open as she felt his moving, and she sniffed appreciatively at the scent filling her nostrils.

"Breakfast," she stated happily.

Jack smiled. "Hungry, are we?" He asked, stuffing the sausage in his mouth.

"Very," Rose replied, sitting up.

Jack handed her the plate that he hadn't disturbed. "Bon appetite."

"Merci beacoup," She replied, smiling.

They sat there then, eating their breakfast slowly and talking every once in awhile. They listened as the captain's assistants informed people of the estimated arrival time, their family members whereabouts if they had any clue, and what they were expecting for weather. Rose strained her ears to catch the arrival time. She gathered that they were catching speed as they went, and should be arriving by the next day's late afternoon. She settled back comfortably near Jack.

"Did you hear that?"

"What?" He asked, his mouth filled with corn fritters and maple syrup.

Rose chuckled. "I'd rather watch you spit! Anyway, the ship; we should be docking by tomorrow around 5."

Jack smiled. "Where will we go?"

"Anywhere, I suppose," she replied. "anywhere we can start over."

"We'll start over no matter where we are, Rose. Nothing will ever be the same."

She nodded. "That's completely true, Mr. Dawson," she joked. "you have changed everything."

Hearing her call him Mr. Dawson struck something inside of him, and his smile faded slightly. "You know, Rose, when you were asleep, they took our names."

Her eyes widened. "What did you say? I hope you gave them yours. Don't tell me you told them my maiden name."

Jack grinned. "No, I didn't, Mrs. Dawson. Why ever would I?"

Rose stared into his eyes for a long moment's time, before placing both of her hands on either side of his face. She kissed him then, smelling the same smell of musk he had always smelt of, and tasting the stickiness of maple syrup. He kissed her back, of course, his lips warmer now against hers. He shifted slightly to pull her closer to him, and held her head against his chest when they pulled away.

"I'll never let go," He whispered to her. "as long as you don't."

"Never," she assured. "I could never dream of letting go, Jack."

"That's good," he replied, smiling as he held onto her hand. He lifted her fingers to his lips, and ran his own fingers over hers gingerly.

"Your eyes are dark," he commented, looking at her heavy eyelids. "how much sleep did you get last night?"

"Only a bit," she replied sheepishly. "I was up thinking for awhile."

"About what?" He asked curiously.

"About how you saved me."

"I hope you don't view it as selfishly," he mused. "I really just couldn't live without you."

She laughed. "You couldn't possibly have known that when I was going to jump! We had just met, not even."

Jack smiled. "Well, I know now, and isn't that all that matters?"

She nodded her agreement. "If it's okay with you I think I'll try and sleep again. My head is clear, and I need rest, you're right."

"You don't have to ask. Are you comfortable enough?"

"I'm fine," she said, settling her head against his thigh once more. He felt her breath against his lower abdomen through a rip in his shirt, and sighed as he rested his head back under the ledge of the ship.

"I'll wake you in a couple of hours, okay?" He said quietly, smoothing her hair down and then rubbing her shoulders in an attempt to keep her warm.

"Thank-you," she replied softly into his shirt-front.

"You're welcome, beautiful," he spoke back.

He decided that he'd stay awake, keeping watch over what, he didn't know. He just felt like he couldn't have both of them close their eyes at once, though it had happened last night. Nothing was wrong, and nothing would go wrong, but he felt it was his job to always keep her safe and he couldn't do that if he was asleep. He held true to that promise to himself, and stayed wide awake as her breathing evened out and she fell into a slumber. He sat in silence for awhile, no noise except some quiet talk from the groups of people huddled around them. Then, he realized that Rose was crying softly into his shirt. He talked to her lovingly, assuring her that everything was okay, before he realized that she was crying in her sleep. Knowing she must be dreaming of the sinking, he shook her awake as gently as possible. He coaxed her out of sleep by whispering sweet nothings in her ear, and finally, she roused. He wiped her tears away with his thumb, the rough skin of an artist contrasting against her pale, soft skin.

"It's okay, Rose. Nothing is going to hurt you," he soothed gently.

He assured her like that for the rest of the night, and into the next day. He held her close, and then let her sit up and get air. He rubbed her head, and then stopped when she started to eat the next day's breakfast. On and off he comforted her; on and off he sang. He did whatever was necessary to keep her from falling back into a sleep that would rouse her fears, and heartache. He did everything possible to keep her thoughts on happiness, and not sadness. Truthfully, he didn't care about his own mental stability or health…And really, why should he? He was alive for her, and because of her, his happiness was inevitable. As long as he had her, he could live. Without her, he wouldn't have known how to continue life. There was something in her that brought out the best in him, something that made him not only _Jack_, or, _the artist, _but it made him unique: it gave him something he didn't know he would ever have.

He was now a man who loved, and could be loved. That in itself, gave him the strength to endure the frigid water and the days that lie ahead for them. She gave him strength. With strength, and love, he had a future. He smiled as he watched her sleeping in his lap, and avoided watching the tossing waves of the water.

His future…He was looking at it.

**A\n: Big thank you to Miss Bourne-Dawson for encouraging, and inspiring me to write a chapter over my 1,000 word (at least) limit. Now, I know I can do it! I hope you enjoyed all 3,000 words, and you guys have her to thank! Also, while I'm giving her a shout out, I hope you noticed that I corrected my dialogues and put those commas instead of periods! Thanks for the tip, girl. Also, Blue-Eyed Artist's Girl, I am putting the character filters as Jack and Rose so this story is easier to find. Thanks for that tidbit! **

**Moving on, I really hope that I had them in character well…I was kind of nervous. Am I doing alright? Can't wait for some feedback! Please review. I would tell you what the next chapter is about, but I don't want to only because usually, when I do that, I end up changing it and I feel guilty for doing so, lol. I can't stick with a specific plan, so I hope you guys just look forward to the next chapter, which I can at least assure I will try and do my best to keep in the longer word length area as this one was. Anyway, that's all for now, and I can't wait to hear what you guys thought! **

**God Bless,**

**Sarah. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I cannot thank you all enough for all the amazing feedback I have been getting for this story. It means the world to me, and it keeps me updating faster. Enjoy chapter 3, everyone!**

**Blessings,**

**Sarah**

The ship docked at 5:20 that next day. They were in New York, on land. Rose's footing was unsteady after stepping on flat ground for the first time in awhile, and Jack held her tight. They had no belongings other than the jacket on his back, and the coat Cal had given Rose to keep warm. The Heart of the Ocean lay in one of Cal's pockets, unbeknownst to them for the time being. Jack's drawings were gone; his only leg to stand on, gone. Everything that connected Rose to her social class, besides that necklace, were gone. Rose walked by Jack's side in the slow moving line leading off the ship. They were all each other had now; they were painfully forced to start both of their lives over. It took awhile to get the line moving at a rapid pace, and Jack watched as hundreds of people clutching coats, small belongings, and young children, hurried to the front as quickly as possible. Rose glanced to her right as a small baby cried. A man was rocking the young girl desperately, tear stains gracing his cheeks. The child's mother must have been a casualty: a painful reminder of just how much that luxurious voyage had taken away. Rose squeezed Jack's hand tightly.

The line lurched forward suddenly, and Rose craned her neck to see why they had begun running. She realized why quite immediately, and smiled warmly.

Family.

Family members waiting to see if their loved ones had survived lined the streets. Hope filled the air for the first time since people had spotted the Carpathia in the distance. Rose looked up at Jack, and smiled.

"You're my family," she stated quietly.

"But of course," he assured.

She squeezed his hand for a moment, and then pulled him by the wrist towards the left.

"Over here," she said quietly, rushing through a gap in a group of people. They hastened their pace, breaking through the crowd until finally, they came to an open area, leading into a town filled with more people. Rose glanced around her only to see high office buildings, and businessmen walking with their briefcases. She supposed there were a handful of people that had no family members to worry about aboard the Titanic, and those were the ones she saw walking in front of her, going about their days.

"Miss?" Someone broke her out of her reverie. By the nursing cap, she could tell it was a health care provider.

"Yes?" Rose asked, her voice wavering with cold.

"We're directing everyone to a hospital just outside of town if you need medical assistance, if not, we have first aid kits and some hot tea."

The held out the two kits, and to mugs of tea. Rose smiled gratefully.

"I appreciate that."

"Yes, mam, just trying to help as many as we can on such short notice. There are some hor bandages in there for small patches of frostbite, it could do you two a world of good. Have you given your names to the supervisor?"

"Yes, we have," Jack cut in. "I appreciate your help, miss. My wife and I are grateful."

With that, they continued on their way down the street. Rose looked back hesitantly.

"So that's it? We just leave like that?"

Jack nodded. "We gave our names; there's nothing left for us to do."

"I think we should go to that hospital, Jack. You were in the water for a long time."

"They helped my legs with the frostbite on the Carpathia, with warm towels and blankets. You were asleep, but they changed the hot bandages often, and I feel fine."

"Are you sure?" She asked questioningly.

He smiled warmly. "I'm positive, Rose. I just want to get you home."

"Home?" She furrowed her eyebrows.

Jack smiled. "I never had time to tell you: I own an apartment here; I needed somewhere to come home to after art trips, of course."

She stared at him for a long moment, and then she shot him a stunning smile. "Trying to take me back to your place, as you say?" She asked, and for the first time the air of first class surrounded her once more, though it was brought about mockingly.

Jack smirked. "Not against your will," he swallowed thickly. "Join me?" He asked, holding out his arm to her.

Rose smiled and nodded. "You jump, I jump," she replied, giving him her arm.

With that, they walked down the main street, Jack leading the way only by a few steps. He walked slowly, easily, to avoid the agitation of any leftover frostbite. He gripped Rose's hand tight in his own, and took a right turn down a dark alleyway. Rose tried to keep balanced as they walked along the curb, car exhaust and grease leaving slippery puddles that they tread it. Then, they cut a quick corner, and Jack stopped abruptly. Looking up, she saw tall buildings, and many windows covering them. She smiled over at him. The apartments were run down, abandoned looking even, but they were perfect.

"Mine is on the very bottom," he stated quietly.

She simply nodded and pushed him jokingly. "Well, come on then. I'd like to be getting home."

He smiled lovingly, and walked with her towards the front doors of the apartment complex, then, and led her down two flights of stairs to his room: 17B. He took in a deep breath as he grabbed the door handle.

"I'm sorry I have nothing first class worthy to offer you, Rose. Being on the Titanic is the closest you'll ever see me to jewels and beauty, other than when I'm standing next to you."

In reply, she cupped his face between her hands and kissed him.

**Author's Note: I just made 1,000 words and I am sorry for that, but I will surely be working hard on LONG updates, I just wanted to put this one up before I drowned it out anymore. Is this believable, and were they in character? This chapter kind of bugged me…Hit me up with some feedback!**

**God Bless,**

**Sarah.**


	4. Chapter 4

**,Author's Note: I'm glad I got positive feedback on Chapter 3; I wasn't sure if it would have a good turnout considering I didn't stay too strict to historical events as far as what time, where, and where they went when and after the docking. I do have a plan for this story, though, and hope you all bear with it as I go along. Enjoy chapter 4, please review, and I can't wait to see your thoughts again!**

**God Bless,**

**Sarah. **

Jack opened the door to the apartment with his free hand, grasping Rose's with the other. He let her in first, and shut the door behind him when he followed. He took in a deep breath then, and watched as she appraised where he resided. He ran a shaky hand through his hair. He hadn't cleaned before leaving for Titanic's voyage, and things were scattered around the floor and on the furniture even _more so_ than usual. He glanced around, eyeing the place warily. He hadn't dusted in months, and thick coats of it covered the small fire place, random shelves, and drawing easels. Loose papers with half finished drawings lie littered all over the floor, and couch, whilst crumbled pieces tumbled out of a knocked over trash can, and lined the walls leading down the hallway. Thankfully, he had left no food laying about, and he let out a sigh. Rose's eyes flashed across the room widely as she took in her new environment. She swallowed and smiled slightly. She didn't mind that Jack was third class, but some of this was just pure _filth! _You could be poor with class, couldn't you? Rose mentally choked on her thoughts; what business did she have thinking like Cal would? She turned to Jack then, and smiled warmly.

"It's perfect," she said very quietly, nestling her head under his chin, against his chest.

He pulled her closer into a tight embrace.

"Tell me about your little home here, Jack. This doesn't seem the place to have ice fishing in the back yard," she stated, smiling as she spun in his arms to face him.

Jack grinned. "Let's clear up a spot on the couch and sit for a little while first."

Not wanting her to lift a finger, really, Jack set to work on his suggestion immediately, moving to fluff the old green pillows, and move the torn paper and charcoal pencils off the piece of furniture. He slapped the arm which dust then arose from, and he pulled back a curtain that seemed to be made of thick canvas, from the window. Now, instead of a musky glow, the room was illuminated in a bright yellow hue of sunlight as the sun set behind the clouds. Rose sneezed softly into her arm as she sniffed in the dust particles. Her mother never let dust lie around the house, nor did _she _clean it, particularly. That had of course been deemed the maid's job. Rose watched as Jack continued to clean, just as she had always watched other people clean _her house, _and _her messes_. She stepped forward and bent down, grabbing pits of paper and avoiding the patches of dust Jack was sweeping about. She wouldn't sit back and watch other people do her own work for her anymore; it wasn't fair, and she wouldn't leave Jack with all of the weight of that annoying responsibility.

As small as this resolve may seem, it made Rose feel even more free of her old life. She forced a pillow down roughly against the couch in anger for how stupid she had acted for so many years. Gnashing her teeth together, she groaned and flopped herself down on the couch, huffing.

"Whoa, there, Rose, don't ruin the little we _do _have to our name," Jack spoke, sitting down next to her.

Rose simply laughed. "I've never cleaned before, Jack."

She had the same excited, hesitant smile that she wore the day he had taught her to spit off the boat. That smile; you'd think he was asking her to kill somebody. But no, she was a rebel for spitting; for _cleaning o_n her own. He pulled her close to his chest with one, strong arm.

"Rose, you don't have to get used to it, you know."

"No, I don't," she agreed. "But I do want to."

"Whatever you want to do," he chuckled in reply, amazed at how someone could be so hard-set on wanting to clean.

"You know, when I was a kid, and we would get ready to go Ice Fishing in the winter, my Mom would always make me clean my room, promise to clean my snow clothes, and get all of my own fishing gear together," he began, rubbing circles on her back. "I absolutely _hated _it, Rose. It was _horrible! _But you, you come in here, looking all beautiful, wanting to clean _my _house? God Bless you!" He laughed.

She smiled gently. "I have to pull my weight around here."

"You don't have to, nor are you welcome to, at least not for now. For now, you need to rest, more so than I do."

He stood then, and motioned for her to follow him into the small bedroom to the right. The room was cleaner than the living room had been, though quite dark. Jack reached up and pulled a thin string that had been tied loosely to a small light bulb in the middle of the room. Rose's eyes widened as she looked from wall to wall: the surface of them were covered with a mural that never ended. People. Thousands of people, painted by his own hands; a collage of all the work she had seen in his sketchbook. All of the, though, were clothed, and the colors were vibrant. Charcoal was a thing of the past in the paintings that dressed his wall space. Rose ran her fingers along the sketches and thick lines. There was no texture to them; the almost 3 dimensional figures were flat against her palm.

"Jack, these are marvelous," she pressed out, almost at a complete loss for words.

Jack rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and leaned against the wall. He appraised her then, watching her every move. He watched her fingers run across the same spots his had once, blending in blotches of color, and perfecting his work the best he could. He watched flatten her palm against his work, and kneel up on the small cot that lay on the back wall to get higher up. She stared at the patch of ceiling he had just begun working on before boarding Titanic. A small child was just about her finished, and his father or mother's arm was wrapped around him.

"This is who you'll draw next, Jack? The parent?"

"Yes," he replied, kneeling on the bed with her. "See, this here is where the body, and head will be. A big ole' top hat will be about here. He was a nice looking man, and the child was adorable; I'm trying to spend a lot of time on their picture and do it justice."

He pointed out various sections as he told her where everything would go. Rose watched his hands now as he moved across his own canvas to show her his blueprints for the rest of the layout. His fingers were slightly calloused, wrinkled in various places from so much water, and very rough. He had chapped, dead skin in many patches across his hand. Artist's hands, they were indeed. It was safe to say that Rose had never been so captivated by someone's _hands _before. They were breathtaking to her; to have a gift like that was more phenomenal than anything money could ever buy.

After awhile of touring the artist's work, Jack had finally coaxed her into relaxing while he got something ready for dinner. He showed her the small, dark shower in the bathroom that ran only cold water, and promised he'd be back with some warm water in a little while. He set to work in the kitchen, filling a metal pan with water and then holding it over the front burners. After he was satisfied that it wasn't too hot, or too warm, he knocked on the bathroom door. Rose yawned as she opened it, and Jack was surprised to find she was wrapped in one of his shabby robes. Cal's coat was thrown carelessly on the floor, and her small frame was covered comfortably with his hand-me-down. He smiled warmly.

"I see you're making yourself comfortable."

"I'm trying," she smiled, taking the pan from him. "Thank you for the water, Jack, you didn't need to."

"Well, I can't have you showering in cold water."

She stared into his eyes for a few moments, then tuned and grabbed Cal's coat.

"Get rid of this for me, please," she said, looking at it in disgust.

Jack nodded. "I'll put it in the sitting room somewhere."

"Thank you, Jack, I'll be out soon."

With that, she shut the door and left him to turn back to the kitchen to try and find _something _suitable that he could cook up for her quickly. He looked through the drawers of the fridge, and then the side shelves. Finally, in the small freezer built in to the top, he found some ground meat and a loaf of bread. Making sure they had butter, he sighed and took both things out. He had run out of most all his meager spice portions before going on Titanic, so the meat would be incredibly bland. This meat, though, was all he had unless he wanted to serve her a few over-ripe bananas. He got the small, nicked-up pan ready, turning the heat up all the way, and began breaking the meat up in it with an old knife. After that, he added the two spices he had left: a little powdered garlic, and oregano, and then added some breadcrumbs he had saved in a small canister. He watched as it all simmered, and thought over how this was the very first time he had ever been nervous cooking. It didn't matter when he was cooking for himself, or even Fabrizio, but he was making food for _Rose _now. What was she used to? Extravagant spices when he was offering a pinch of garlic and some old oregano? He shook it off, and got back to cooking, thawing the bread out above the open burner. He held it in his hands, warming it as he broke it open. The ice particles fell from the ends, and melted onto the burner. He thought of the ice berg then, seeing the chunks falling into the ship, watching everyone kick them around. He shook this thought too; he was more than thankful Rose was alive, and she was the only thing he should be thinking of right now.

Jack looked around him as he let the food finish cooking. The apartment was pretty neat now that he had tidied with the help of his lover. The apartment had never been too clean, though he did uphold it well. Jack was proud of his accomplishment that was this humble abode. He had bought it after someone had paid him a decent penny, or more, for one of his drawings of them in Paris. Truthfully, Jack had never known someone who see his work as so valuable, but two families in Paris had, along with one woman he had drawn. He was going to add the money together to use for another trip, hopefully to somewhere even farther than Paris. Jack had always loved traveling, and now Fabrizio and him could go even more places; he could get noticed by even more people. Soon, though, Jack found that thoughts trains such as that one were quite irresponsible, and he decided to invest his money here, in New York.

New York had never been his first choice, and he had had his eye on a house in Wisconsin for a long while, but New York was the perfect middle ground, and it's where a lot of ships and other transportation dropped off and picked up. If he wanted to make it big time with his drawing, he had to be in the heart of things, and what better place than with all this business booming around him? Rose was correct: Ice Fishing wasn't something you could do spontaneously around here, and sometimes Jack did miss well, _home. _But he always tried to assuage his discontent with the fact that Fabrizio had been happy there too; happy to have somewhere to call his own with his friend, and somewhere with hope. Jack's mother had always told him he'd do well with his drawing skills, but assured him that he wouldn't do well with them in Wisconsin. Eventually, he had begun to believe her, and stayed put here. Now, in this small apartment is where he still found himself, and even more so than before was it truly his only leg to stand on. His dreams of moving to Wisconsin in the fall were through. His money had been spent losing countless games of poker, on apartment payments, and some on Titanic. It was time to buckle down and find someone who would buy more art from him: he had Rose to support now. It was her dreams that mattered, not his.

With that, though, he smiled at the easel that had no picture portrayed on it's skin yet. Jack loved drawing, and though his dream of Wisconsin was gone for now, his artistry was not. When he was drawing, it wasn't a chore for him, and he enjoyed it. That was the kind of _job _he wished to keep forever: one that didn't even feel like one. Jack scratched the back of his neck as he slowly melted back into reality. His monthly payments were coming up soon, and he had nothing to show for them that he had either ready, or saved. He let out a deep sigh; somehow, he had to support her…He had to keep a roof over their heads. He turned the burner off when the meat was all brown and retrieved plates from the cabinet above his head. He set them on small, wooden table with two glasses of water, silverware, and two old handkerchiefs. He heard the sink turn on then, and knew Rose must be out of the shower. He realized that she'd have no clothes but that robe, and resolved to go fetch her some of his old shirts for the time being once he put Cal's jacket somewhere she wouldn't have to see it. He picked it up off it's place draped on the couch, and walked over to the closet he stowed the clothes he used less often. He threw it in the corner then, and heard a soft, _clink. _He furrowed his eyebrows and kneeled in front of the closet. His eyes caught the sparkle of the gems and he shook his head.

"There's no way," he breathed, blood running cold.

He grasped the sparkling object and pulled it the rest of the way out of the thick, black pocket it was falling out of.

His eyes widened.

_It was the Heart of the Ocean. _

**Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed this! I was quite confident with this chapter, and I can't wait to see what you all think! Thank you so much for the support guys, I cannot believe I am almost at 20 reviews! I'm already excited to get home from school tomorrow to give you all another new chapter. Unfortunately, I need sleep now, since I am so deprived from staying up reading Titanic stories. I also have an end of the year project due on the sinking! Haha, one of these days I will have to get all Titanic'ed out. (; Just kidding! **

**As well, I had two reviewers that gave me a LOT of insight on the questions I needed answered, and I GREATLY appreciated it, thank you two so much: **_**Faithful Magewhisper, and Rosalyn Winter. **_

**God Bless,**

**Sarah. **


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note: I never expected to get all the feedback I have gotten for this story. All of your guys's support means SO much. Keep reviewing, please, it helps me update sooner! **_

_**God Bless,**_

_**Sarah**_

__"Jack?" Rose asked as she stepped out of the bathroom, only to find him sitting on the floor.

Jack's head shot up, and Rose's eyes widened as she saw the Heart of the Ocean resting in his opened hands.

"Jack, where did you find that?" She asked frantically, coming to stand next to him.

"It was in Cal's pocket."

Recognition dawned on her and she snatched it out of his hands. "Well, check the other!"

"W-what?"

"The other pocket, Jack, the other pocket!" She yelled, falling beside him.

He pulled the thick coat out of the closet, and dug through both pockets quickly. She laughed when he handed her two stacks of money then, and he slumped back against the wall, grinning like a child.

"Rose, we're rich!"

He stared into her eyes as he realized what he had said, then.

_We're rich? What did she care! Being rich was nothing new for Rose! _

She smiled at him and threw the money to the side as she leaned closer to him and kissed him forcefully. He tossed the necklace aside as he wrapped both arms around her, rubbing her back gently as he returned the kiss. Jack held her close after that, pulling her to sit with him, leaning against the wall.

"I can make the rent now," Jack whispered softly.

"You didn't have enough money for rent?" Rose asked, not out of scrutiny, but concern.

Jack blushed lightly and scratched the back of his neck, and Rose dropped the subject she shouldn't have broached.

"Tomorrow, I'm taking you to buy new clothes," he replied confidently, ignoring the previous question.

So that's what they did.

The next day, Rose found herself waking to sunlight shining through the small window in their bedroom. She yawned and opened her eyes fully, stretching next to Jack as she felt his leg against her own. She sighed heavily, not wanting to leave his warmth, but slipped out of the covers anyway. She always rose early, and by squinting her eyes to tell the time, she realized that it was 6:18 A.M. She groaned. How she wished she didn't have the inability to sleep in for any length of time! She shivered; her frame covered with nothing but the thin blanket she slid off the bed to wrap around herself, then. Jack stirred feeling the layer of warmth leave his body, and once he felt around for Rose whom he no longer felt next to him, his eyes shot open. She didn't notice this; she was busy staring out the window, peering down at the already busy people as she pulled the curtain back just slightly. Jack watched her silhouette, taking in her beauty, and then propped himself up on one elbow.

"You're so beautiful," he stated softly. "Come back to bed."

Rose turned to him, un-startled by hearing his calm, quiet voice.

"Aren't we going clothes shopping today, Mr. Dawson?" She asked, smiling.

"Yes, we are, Mrs. Dawson, but first I'd like for you to lay with me for another few moments," he teased quietly.

Rose smiled and came to sit on the edge of the bed. He wrapped his arm around her lower waist, and pulled her to lay down next to him. He ran a rough thumb over her nose as gingerly as possible.

"_Come, Josephine," _he sang softly.

"_in my flying machine," _she finished before nestling her head under his chin.

"_Back to sleep, she goes!" _He joked.

Rose chuckled lightly, and sat up. "Jack, we should leave early. We have to walk, you know."

"Yeah, I know," he sighed.

"How about I make you breakfast and then we can go?"

Jack's face lit up as his stomach growled angrily. "Breakfast sounds perfect."

With that, he jumped out of bed and gave her a hurried kiss on the lips before going to the bathroom. She smirked and walked into the kitchen. In only took her a few moments to find what she wanted to make: some eggs, a few link sausages, and bread that was only two days outdated. She got some creamy, spreadable cheese to smear on top of bread, then, and set it to the side. With her work cut out for her, she began by turning the stove on high, and cutting the sausage into small pieces as she had seen her dinner maid do once. Satisfied with the bite-sized pieces, she crumpled them into the pain and cracked the eggs over top of them, then, she mixed them together as they cooked. Seeing that there was more meat than the eggs, though, she took out one more to crack. Her fingers were unsteady as she tried to bust it open a couple of times unsuccessfully, and finally she cracked it into the pan, shell and all.

"Oh no. No, no, no, no," she cried frantically, moving to wash her hands quickly before sticking her fingers in Jack's breakfast.

To her dismay, he walked out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist, the second she dug her fingers into the yellow goo.

"_Urgh! Sickening!" _She spat out, feeling the touch of warm slime beneath her fingers as she fished around for the thick pieces of shell she had exploded into the meal.

"I didn't ask for finger food!" Jack laughed, coming to embrace her from behind. "My, my, you look gorgeous," he breathed into her ear.

She spun around in his arms and hugged him close. "I can't make you breakfast, Jack!" She cried frantically, though it was muffled against his chest as she pressed her face into his skin.

"Rose, it's okay. Is this your first time cooking?" He asked curiously.

"Well, yes."

"I'll help, it's alright. I've been doing his all my life. My Dad and I used to make breakfast for my Mom all the time. Come on, I'll show you how to," he peered over into the stove to spot the problem. "Crack an egg."

She smiled sadly. "I'm a bit hopeless, aren't I?"

"Not hopeless, just a little clueless," he laughed.

"Hey!" She slapped his arm playfully.

"Oh, Rose, you _n_ever mess with the chef!" He yelled, turning around and chucking a piece of bread at her.

Her eyes widened and she splashed a glass of water that had been resting on the counter all night onto his chest.

"Rose Dawson," he shook his head in disbelief. "I cannot believe you hav-"

She stopped him by stuffing pieces of the bread he had thrown at her into his mouth. He chewed quickly and swallowed before sticking a knife into the soft cheese on the counter and smearing it across her lips.

"I win."

Rose licked off the cheese and laughed. "I do believe you have, _this time." _

"Is that a threat, Mrs. Dawson?"

"I do believe it is, Mr. Dawson!"

"Well, then: Until next time!"

"Yes, until next time, when we have a re-match and I take my rightful place as winner," she huffed, playfully indignant.

"I'll let you win this time if it means that much to you, my dear," he breathed into her ear again.

Chills ran down her spine and she shook her head. "No, I'll win fair and square next time."

"Suit yourself."

Then, Jack showed her how to properly crack an egg, they salvaged the breakfast, and cleaned up their mess quickly. Rose was somewhat nervous about shopping for clothes…What if someone recognized her? She supposed she was only being paranoid, but still, what if? She shook off that thought and followed Jack back into their bedroom. He went immediately to his dresser and dug through the clothes until finding something suitable for Rose to wear. He didn't want her wearing rags, but he didn't own any dresses either. Finally, he settled on a pajama shirt that he wore, that buttoned down to his waist. It would act as a long shirt, or dress on her, and once they mentioned they had been on Titanic, the shopkeepers would understand. Rose dressed quickly after that, and stepped out of the bathroom in her undergarments and Jack's long, white shirt covering her thin frame. She spun for him.

"I feel like such an artist!" She yelled happily, laughing.

He grinned and stood from where he had been lacing up his shoes. "I could get use to you walking around like this," he admitted, kissing her forehead.

Rose smiled and pulled her hair to her left side, beginning to braid it.

"How'd you learn how to braid?" Jack asked, assuming that even her hair had been done for her.

Rose shrugged and looked into a small, cracked mirror leaning against the wall on Jack's drawing desk.

"I watched my maid do it a great deal of times and one day, my hands had nothing to do is all."

Jack nodded, content with the simplicity of her answer; she had sounded like him just there: so calm, and free.

That's how he wanted it to always be: with nothing holding her back. She had small in capabilities that he wanted to help her with, and some insecurities that he knew they could work through; he would never leave her stranded in the broken pieces of the life she had forfeited for him. True, she hadn't wanted that life even before him, but knowing that he had finally pushed her to make the decision to break free was a great responsibility for him, and he intended on cherishing it. Breaking out of his reverie, he clapped his knees and stood.

"Well, darling, let's go get you some new clothes."

**O0ooO0**

They settled on looking in a small, shop just a little way's north of their apartment. Jack held Rose's hand firmly as slews of people trailed in and out, looking and buying, attempting to steal, and just sitting around waiting for someone to ask for assistance. Jack forced through the crowd, holding Rose's hand in a death grip to make sure that she was right there with him, not to be stolen away. Finally, they came to a section with woman's clothing. He told Rose to pick out whatever she wanted, kindly reminding her that she needed to remember to find night clothes and undergarments. At that she had cocked an eyebrow at him and snorted. He blushed then, noting her look of, 'do I really need them?'

He waited for awhile while she chose her items carefully. He noticed she stayed in a humble price range, and found clothes that were modest, but comfortable; dressy, but not too classy and reserved. She chose nothing rich, or snobby, just some well dressed things that he truthfully, couldn't wait to see her in. Jack often wondered what the woman in big hats and extravagant dresses would look like in the meager clothing of his class. He stared at her in the shirt he used for painting that fell over her body like a dress. Now, he knew that she looked like: Just a radiant as they day he had glanced up the top deck, and caught her eye.

Rose finished shortly after that, and Jack picked out some new shirts, a new pair of pants, and a pair of shoes. He had plenty of coats at home, and left a decent amount of clothing. Jack had saved a lot of money for clothes in the past, seeing as when he travelled he felt 'scattered,' and always liked to leave clothes home to know he had waiting for him. Usually, he forgot to pack clothes to bring back home, ruined them with paint, and now, in this case, lost in a ship sinking. He saved money to buy things in bulk: many shirts, but the cheap ones; a few pairs of shoes at a time, but the reasonably priced ones, and so on. He smiled warmly at his _wife _as she walked up to him, toppling over with new wardrobe choices.

"Well done, Mrs. Dawson. You're officially a third-class shopper!"

"I'd prefer to be no other," she replied confidently, laying her choices on the counter to be counted for check-out.

The woman standing at the counter took one look at them and snickered. Jack furrowed his eyebrows and stepped forward.

"What's so funny?" He asked dangerously, hoping this woman had no connections to Rose or her family.

"Nothing, I just, you don't look to great, Mr. Dawson."

Jack sighed in relief as realization dawned on him.

_Lucille. _

Lucille had been the only person to ever call Jack 'Mr. Dawson' besides Rose and people discussing his various paintings and sketches. She had offered him free clothes twice, and even a job, but he herself had been out of work for so long that she looked so different to him. Her face was full of more worry lines than before, her skin was aged, and her fingers shook ever so slightly. The other workers had said she suffered the loss of a family member recently, but knew no idea who.

"I'm not feeling too great," he replied kindly, knowing to whom he was speaking now.

"What have you and this lovely woman gotten yourselves into?"

"More like what we got ourselves out of. We got off Titanic, Lucille."

Her eyes widened and she remained at a loss for words minutes after that.

"_Titanic?" _

"Yes, Lucy. We were brought in by the Carpathia last night."

"Oh, God bless you two. I read about that in the paper only this morning."

She had counted the clothes up during their conversation, and the sum was written on a small slip of paper that she crumpled when he moved to get a glimpse of it. She pushed his hand with the money away, and handed him the items in a bag.

"Take these, you two. Get warm, and get back to normality. Consider the clothes paid for, just come pay me a visit when you're settled back in, alright, Mr. Dawson?"

Jack didn't reply, and simple stared at her in answer. Rose smiled politely and nodded.

"I can assure you we will pay you more visits, Lucille, thank you for these items, that's very generous."

Lucille nodded. "Don't mention it, darling. Take good care of her," she directed at Jack.

He nodded, finding his voice when it came to Rose. "You can rest assured I will."

With that, he wrapped a protective arm around her and ushered her out of the shop quickly.

**Author's Note: So, there you go! Chapter 5! I hope you guys liked it, and could follow along easily. I broke up the new section with this: O0oo0O As you could tell, because the line thing never works for me…I don't know why, really. Lol… Anyways, I hope nothing in the chapters gets confusing for you guys! I keep getting these awesome mental pictures of everything and just want to portray them well for you guys. Thank you so much, once again for all the reviews! Feedback is always appreciated, it means the world to me, and definitely keeps me updating quicker! God Bless! –Sarah. **


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note: Welcome back for chapter 6! I am so happy everyone is liking this story so much, you guys are simply the best! Enjoy! **_

_**God Bless,**_

_**Sarah. **_

__Jack was sitting in the bedroom in almost complete silence. The only sounds able to be heard were his hand or pencil sweeping across the paper as he drew out the stencil for the last piece of his parent/child picture on his mural. He didn't pay too much attention to detail, for he would add in all of the 'little' things that made it one beautiful big thing, once the general outline was on the wall. His brows were furrowed in concentration as he leaned his face down just inches from the paper. His tongue stuck out just by the very tip as he worked, drawing his way through the figure and extra little pieces around the parent and child. He moved his hands tediously, paying close attention to the thickness of the curves and the length of some lines just so he was sure he got the dimensions right. He had been working for only two hours, but had the majority of it finished: Jack prized himself on his work, and when he was home he took a great deal of time on it. Yes, he could work under pressure: like when he drew woman in Paris, or had been drawing Rose, but he found it much more soulful when he worked at his own pace, perfecting his art to exactly the way he wanted it.

Jack studied the outline intently when he decided he was finished. Satisfied, he set the various charcoals and erasers aside and stood. He had been working on the piece section by section, and now the finished item was covering the small drawing table and hanging over both sides. He wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand and stood to draw the curtains against the bright sun that had been beating down on him for the last couple of hours. He removed his light, cotton shirt and collapsed onto the bed. His back ached from being hunched over for so long and he eagerly stretched it out. He smiled slightly as he cracked his sore fingers. Finally he could complete his mural. When he had gotten onto the Carpathia and was slipping in and out consciousness, he thought of these things: his parents, Rose, and this mural. Jack didn't like starting things and not finishing them- he enjoyed completing whatever tasks were on his plate. Any sense of accomplishment gave Jack great joy.

As he fell deeper into his thoughts he heard a soft knock on the door and yelled: "Come in!"

Knowing who it would be of course, he wasn't surprised to see Rose standing in the doorway with a smile on her face.

"Finished already, darling?" She asked as she entered the small room.

Jack smiled and nodded. "I stopped only a minute ago; what have you been doing out there?"

"Just straightening a few things up. Are you hungry?"

"Not really," he shrugged.

"You aren't?" Rose asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "It's 5 O' clock in the evening."

"I know what time it is," he replied gently. "I'm just not very hungry."

She sighed. "Well, I can't fight you; I know what you mean. I'm not too hungry myself, everything has been such a whirlwind of," she fished for a good word.

"Chaos?" Jack offered.

She threw her hands up and nodded. "Chaos! Perfect! It has been _absolute chaos." _

Jack chuckled and stood, mending the gap between them as he pulled her close.

"I know what you mean," he said, gently kissing the top of her head.

Her eyes fluttered closed as he held her in that embrace, and she sunk into him, burying her face against his warm skin. In an instant, everything of that night flooded back to her. She remembered Cal's shooting at them, Jack being framed and locked up, the ship itself, sinking to the bottom of the ocean, and Jack holding her hands and rubbing her shaking body in an attempt to give her _some _warmth. Now, his body was warm, and so was hers; they were alive. She stared up into his eyes and gripped his arms tightly.

"Jack?"

"Yes, Rose?"

"Never let go," she whispered.

He squeezed her around the stomach. "Never."

They stayed caught in that moment for awhile, her lips finding his as they stood kissing, locked in that position together- that moment in time. Rose could honestly say she had never felt anything like this with Cal. She forced herself to _tolerate _him most of the time, and in the moments she didn't think of his money, or the fact that he _was handsome, _he screwed it up with a stupid comment or stomach-lurching sneer. Rose had mentally checked out of that relationship long ago, and was quite honestly dreading her wedding. When there had been problems with sending out the invitations, Rose had secretly jumped in her heart will glee…Perhaps the complications could buy her a few precious months of time: time to remain free. But they couldn't. She had still been forced, the invitations had still gone out, and there was always talk about the babies she would soon bear, the name she would carry, the family wealth she would be part of…It sickened her. None of it was what she wanted: she wanted freedom, joy, and the ability to travel and roam the world. That's when she had met Jack, and that's when the ship had sunk. The tragedy brought her more joy after it was all over than she had ever thought possible. She remembered what Jack had told her about her being unable to survive homeless and wandering to find refuge under a bridge, or on the street. He had assured her she wouldn't last two days, with no hot water, and no caviar. But he had been wrong: this was her second day living in his apartment with him, and he had boiled her hot water since indeed, there was none, and they had eaten a small dinner throw together of old foods and leftovers. She had been surviving for _two _days, and soon she would prove him wrong by waking and surviving the third. She would live, in whatever way she had to, just to be with him.

Rose wondered then if she would ever have had these feelings for Cal.

_You jump, I jump. _

She came to the conclusion that if she experienced them with Jack in only a few sort days; weeks, and never experienced them after all that time 'with' Cal…Then she never would have.

**Author's Note: What would you guys like to see next? If I use any of your ideas in the next chapter, I will mention you! (: Thanks for all the support, guys!**

**35 reviews! I have never gotten this much feedback in such a short amount of time! Thank you!**

**God Bless,**

**Sarah**


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: Thankyou all for your continued support, it means so much to me. I didn't think that this would be such a liked story, but I am more than grateful to all of you who have reviewed, favorited, and given me any form of feedback. I'd like to make a quick shout-out to one of my anonymous reviewers: _Camileiaawesome, for asking about Cal getting involved. He will be soon, so don't you worry. (:

Please read and review!

Blessings,

Sarah

Rose walked around the house humming to herself quietly as she tidied up a few things and thought about her new life. Sure, her old life had been easier in some sense, but all in all, it had been quite harder. It was a difficult task pretending you agreed with everything being said or acting as though you enjoyed being involved in the worthless banter of first class speech. Rose was glad that she didn't have to deal with any of that anymore, and that she was loved for being herself, and not just because someone was _told _to love her, and _told _that they would married. Sighing, she picked up a small glass vase and dusted it off. Jack had been sitting in the bedroom writing a letter for over an hour now. When Rose had asked whom he was writing to, he had told her that he was writing to a cousin of his that still lived in the town he grew up in: Chippewa Falls. Rose could tell by how he spoke of that town that he loved Wisconsin, and she guessed that he wanted to live there again, but she didn't know how they could ever manage it. That, she supposed, was why he was sending a letter out to his cousin…Perhaps he wished for the cousin to loan them money? Rose toyed with the thought for a couple of moments before glancing up as she heard the bedroom door open. Jack walked out holding an envelope with his cousin's mailing address on it. Rose smiled warmly.

"Finished?"

"Yes, Rose, I'm sorry it took me so long."

Rose shrugged. "It didn't take _too _long. What is the letter for, anyway?" She asked, though prying in his business felt very wrong. On any normal occasion, Rose would never have been allowed to press anyone for further information, but those were the customs of _first _class.

"Well," Jack smiled, putting her at ease. "My cousin lives in a house right next to my old one, and he'd moving soon. He promised me when he moved he would give me the house since he was willing to pay it off. I guess that I am trying to say is: I want us to move to Wisconsin, and I am trying my hardest to make it a possibility _very _soon."

Rose gawked at him. "You've been planning on moving-"

"-since before Titanic, yes. My heart isn't here, even though the business is, and I know you'll love Wisconsin…"

_Plus, Cal would never find me there. _Rose thought to herself.

"I know I would too, Jack," she said quietly, walking closer to him. "Why do you seem so nervous?"

He blushed. "Well, I should have asked you first. It's just that, well, I've been planning for awhile. This is so selfish of me, Rose, do you _want _to go to Wisconsin?"

"Jack," she began, leaning on tip-toe to whisper in his ear. "I want to go wherever you are."

**O0oo0O**

The reply letter came only a few days later. Rose had been so excited to hang it to Jack, in fact, that she had startled him with her screaming. Finally, though, he had opened it and read that his cousin, John, was ready for them to move in within only a few days. Being as wealthy as John was, he had paid for them to have a driver take them to a town just on the outskirts of Chippewa Falls, and he would pick them up from there on Thursday. Jack's face lit with the fact that they would be moving back to his hometown in only _two days. _Rose kissed his neck lovingly and held him close.

"Jack, you get to go home," she whispered excitedly.

"You're sure about this?" He asked, turning in her embrace.

"More than sure," she stated softly. "I want my life to be with you, and if you want to be in Wisconsin, that's where I want to be."

He had no reply, but kissed her softly on the lips instead. He stood as he kissed her, and she fell into his embrace, kissing him back with force. He kicked the chair aside and walked her to the couch, remaining joined at the lips as he did so. He pulled away for only a few moments to move some papers off the couch with his hand, and then fell back on the couch, pulling her against him.

"Jack," she began breathlessly. "I love you."

He grinned childishly and kissed her again before replying: "I love you, Rose Dawson."

She kissed his lips once more, running her hand through his thick, blonde hair. And so they remained: laying on the couch, kissing, and embracing each other longingly. Rose had never felt this close to Cal. She had never felt electrified when he touched her; she had felt terrified. But Jack's touch was gentle. When he held her close, or laid a hand on the side of her face, she felt _loved _and _appreciated. _She wasn't a trophy to Jack…Instead, she was the world. As she leaned her head down and kissed him, her thoughts of her family, and Cal melted from her mind permanently. All that mattered was Jack, their new life in Chippewa Falls, and her new life with him. Her thoughts wondering to what Wisconsin would be like, and if she'd make a good little 'Valley girl', she stared into Jack's eyes. He beamed up at her, his hand trailing down her back and then continuing to her thigh.

"Where to, miss?" He asked, his accent heavy.

"The stars," she replied breathlessly.

**Author's Note: I hope you all didn't feel rushed. I needed this chapter to happen now so that we can get a move on with the plot I want to pursue. Cal will be returning, as I stated above, but I won't tell how **_**soon **_**or **_**far off**_** his appearance is. I also have another surprise I want to get underway once I have Jack and Rose a little more…Stable, and…**_**official. **_**Anyway, please review! If you guys ever give me any ideas, and I incorporate them, I will mention you in the chapter (: Thanks for all the continued feedback, guys! I will try and make the next chapter longer than my 1,000 to 1,500 word range. It takes longer for those chapters, but I know you guys love them, so I will work on another one of more length! That's all for now…**

**God Bless,**

**Sarah.**


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Note: A long awaited chapter for some, I assume. I hope I did this justice…The character I have placed in this chapter is rather hard to swallow. Buckle up, hang on, and here we go. _

_Blessings,_

_Sarah._

Jack breathed raggedly as he held Rose close. He kissed the top of her sweaty forehead and laced their fingers together, enjoying her company and the steady rise and fall of her chest next to him.

"That was going to the moon," she said between breaths, holding him closer.

Jack smiled. "I'm glad it was so enjoyable for you."

For awhile Rose remained silent, holding their laced hands on her bare stomach. Jack ran his hand over his shoulder and up to her head, sending chills down her spine.

"You have artist's hands, Jack: They're rough, but loving."

Jack did nothing but continue to smile, then he pressed her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss there. In silence Jack's love spoke volumes: The way he looked at Rose, grabbed her hand, held her in such a warm embrace, and kissed her softly…He gazed at her like she was the only woman in the world, and Rose's heart soared in those moments. Rose felt him take her hair up in a tight hold, and wrap it in the elegant bun she had had it in before he had taken it down. Gently, he secured the elastic band around it and kissed the nape of her neck.

"You're so beautiful."

Rose blushed and squeezed his hand.

"What do you do to stay so gorgeous, Rose?" Jack stared deep into her eyes.

"A woman never reveals her secrets; a woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets, in fact, haven't you ever heard that?"

Jack shook his head, gazing at her longingly. "No, I haven't; not until now."

Jack leaned in then to kiss her nose softly when he heard a knock on the door. Rose jumped slightly, but relaxed against his embrace. After a moment, Jack stood and pulled on his pants. Rose jumped up and slipped the long shirt of his she had been lounging in all day over her head, and followed him to the door. Jack walked in front, but she held her arms wrapped firmly around his as he switched the lock over and opened the door.

"How can we help yo-"

"-By handing over what's rightfully mine, Dawson."

Rose gripped Jack's arm tight as she stared at Cal's face: bright red with anger, flaring nostrils, and grinding teeth.

"I'm sorry but she isn't mine to hand over; Rose is old enough to make her own decisions in this life."

Cal stepped closer to them and Rose hurried in front of Jack protectively. Cal grabbed her arm forcefully, ripping it away from where she had been holding Jack's wrist.

"Come, darling, your mother is in the car."

Rose shook her head, pulling her hand back. "No! I am going nowhere with you or my mother: I don't even consider her as such!" Rose shouted back, stepping a few feet away from Cal.

He chuckled and followed her into the house as she retreated.

"Oh, you little who-"

"-Get away from her!" Jack shouted, slipping in front of Rose and pushing Cal backwards against the doorframe. "I told you she can make her own decisions and you aren't the direction she wants to go in."

"And you are?" Cal asked, eyeing them up distastefully. "Look at her! She looks like such a mess already! This disgusting, third class, scoundrel clothing looks repulsive on her. You, though, I can't say look any different- You have always looked disgraceful!"

Jack's eyes darted between Cal and the car in the driveway dangerously, but he had no time to reply, for Rose did instead.

"You aren't wanted here," she said between ground teeth. "Leave our home, _now." _

Cal stared at her for a long while, before stepping closer to her and placing his hand under her chin.

"Now, Rose," he said softly. "You do know what a terrible mistake you're making, don't you? This sewer rat is your choice? I would never deny you anything, remember? As long as you wouldn't deny me."

"But I do deny you, Mr. Hockley," she glared into his eyes.

Cal smiled. "Are you sure about that?"

Rose nodded tensely, his hand that repulsed her so much still under her chin. She could tell out the side of her eye that Jack was ready to punch him, but that he had faith in Rose. She slammed her foot down then, painfully on Cal's, and though the collision hurt her bare foot, it took him by surprise. Retreating in what seemed to be pain, though he hid it, Cal shook his head.

"You're making a huge mistake, Rose, you are!"

"I could care less!" She shot back, spitting into his face.

He charged after her, pushing himself towards her by the doorframe, and Jack bounded after him as he tackled her onto the couch.

"Get off her!" Jack hollered, punching him painfully in the stomach.

Cal turned on Jack then, slapping him across the face and punching hum under his jaw. Jack groaned in pain but threw a punch back that Cal narrowly avoided. Rose came up behind him, punching him in the back of the neck, and then Jack took his opportunity to shove him to the front door.

"Don't ever set foot in my home, or near Rose, again!" Jack screamed, punching him to the ground with one, final blow to the stomach.

Cal held his gut as he tried to regain his breath, and finally, rasped out: "I always win, Jack. I _will _win."

"Over my dead body," Jack pressed out, slamming the door against the figured hunched on his front doorstep.

He leaned against the doorframe for a long moment, not knowing what to say to Rose. When finally, he looked over his shoulder and found her walking to the couch slowly. He watched as she sat down, her limbs looked mechanical, and she seemed to be forcing herself into the sitting position. Her eyes were wide, and Jack blinked back the fury still in his eyes before moving to comfort her. Once he sat beside her, she moved calmly away, and he furrowed his eyebrows. Deciding not to move closer again, he raised a hand to wipe away the idle tear slipping down her cheek, but she flinched away.

"R-rose, what's wr-"

"-Don't touch me!"

Jack swallowed thickly. "Rose, what do you mean?"

She turned her head to him, her expression resembling that of stone. "I said _don't touch me." _

"Rose, it's okay, he's gone."

Confusing crossed her features, but then she relaxed. He knew it was then that he had to try again. He raised his hand slowly, and then placed it on her forehead, tracing her outline down to her ear, and pushing a bright, red curl behind it. He was glad to see she didn't flinch this time, and Jack knew that whenever Cal was around, he completely shook her thoughts and actions. Jack couldn't only hope she never became that fearful of him. Shrugging that off due to the fact he knew he would never hurt her if he could help it, he pulled her close. She gave in to his embrace and settled herself in his warm arms.

"We leave tomorrow, Rose. You won't have to see Cal again; I will always protect you."

"Never let go," she whispered against his chest.

"Never, love."

She remained silent the rest of the night then, and when Jack finally saw her eyes becoming heavy with sleep, he broke the silence.

"_Come, Josephine, in my flying machine…Going up, she goes," _He ran his hands through her loose hair and wiped away some more idle tears. "_Up, she goes. Balance yourself like a bird on a beam…In the air, she goes." _

He sang to her until he felt her form relax against him, signaling that she had given into sleep, and only then did he let his eyes shut as well.

_Author's Note: Okay, everyone, I really want feedback on this chapter. I was nervous about this whole Cal thing, but I had to get him out of the picture…It would be too boring if he never appeared and let them live happily ever after…Lol. Anyways, hopefully Rose won't freakout too much about Jack's soon-to-be nasty bruises Next chapter you get to decide: Would you like to see them gathering their things, and moving, or would you like to hear Rose's thoughts on what Chippewa Falls is like, and Jack being so excited to be home/Rose meeting Jack's cousin? It's up to you all! I am so thankful for all the feedback I have gotten for this story, so I am going to start making things interactive like that…By the way, I got a crazy idea a few days ago, that I CANNOT wait to do…You guys are going to love it! Lol. I hate when I am so anxious to get to the section of a story that is such a ways away…Anywho, would you guys like to see a wedding, like for real, or them just get it down on paper? Ah, well, let me know your answers to all those open-ended, involvement in the story questions, and sorry for such a long author's note! Haha. _

_God Bless,_

_Sarah._


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note: Thank you guys for the positive feedback on the last chapter! I hope you all enjoy this one! Oh, and I am doing my Titanic end of the year presentation at school tomorrow for a final test grade…Pray I do well! _

_God Bless,_

_Sarah_

Sun streaked through the window, creating a beam of light across the floor the next morning. They had spent all night packing, and decided they would sleep until it was the time they _absolutely needed _to leave the house.

Rose stretched in her sleep and clung to her pillow. She felt morning calling her, but she tried hard to will herself back to sleep. Unfortunately, her attempts were to no avail, and her eyes fluttered open as she yawned. She turned her head to look at Jack who's face was basically right against her own. She giggled childishly as she felt his hot breath on her face. He crinkled his nose in his sleep, but then his face relaxed and a small smile graced his lips.

"Jack," she coaxed softly. "Goodmorning."

He stirred slightly, but his eyes remained firmly shut. She smiled and moved closer to him.

"It's moving day," she whispered, and his eyes shot open.

"Goodmorning, Rose," he said quietly, his voice hoarse with sleep.

Rose ran her hand through his hair, forcing it to lay down from the odd angles it was sticking up in. he moved her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a kiss there.

"How long have you been awake?" He asked as he stretched.

"Just a couple of minutes," she replied, shrugging.

Jack nodded and jumped out of bed quickly. Rose knew she had to be getting up soon as well, but she just didn't feel like moving. Instead, she watched Jack for a few moments. He yawned as he stretched his arms over his head, and then she gasped, jumping up quickly.

"What's wrong?" He asked, worry running across his features.

"Your neck," Rose breathed, touching her hand softly to the tender and swollen skin under his chin. Jack winced in pain, but quickly recovered since the last thing he wanted to do was worry her.

"Eh, I'm fine, promise," he smiled widely at her.

Rose remained unconvinced. "Do you want some ice for it?"

She had pulled her hand away seeing as the touch of her fingers, she could tell, hurt him, but she still bit her lip in worry.

"Rose, I'm perfectly fine, I _am," _he assured.

Rose was not too keen to believe him fully still, but nodded and let it go.

"We have about an hour to get ready, so do you want to help me get all the boxes out front after we're dressed?" Jack asked, changing the subject to happier thoughts swiftly. "I am so glad to be rid of this place."

Rose smiled as she slipped on her robe. "That sounds fine."

"Alright," Jack replied, kissing her forehead before turning in the direction of the bathroom.

Rose turned to grab the clothes she had left out of their suitcases for today and slipped her robe off. She dressed in her undergarments, and then pulled on her pants as Jack stepped out of the bathroom.

"Stop it," he said, looking down at his shoes as he tied them, but smiling devilishly.

Rose furrowed her eyebrows. "Stop what?"

Jack looked up, grinning. "Being so attractive."

He stood from where he had been sitting on the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"You're gorgeous."

"So you've told me," she replied, smiling as she gave in to his embrace.

"Not nearly enough. I will never be able to tell you enough."

**O0oo0O**

They packed quickly when the driver came, and they were on the road by 9 in the morning. Jack was settled in the back with Rose, and all of their belongings, (though meager), were packed into the trunk. Rose and Jack both put on the most comfortable pants they owned, (said pants really empowering Rose since her mother had never before allowed her to wear slacks), and they both put their pillows behind their heads in an attempt to stay comfortable during the 15 hour drive. Rose wasn't used to sitting in a car for so long, but since Jack travelled so often, he didn't mind. He leaned out the window most of the time, watching the scenery. Rose smiled over at him every once in awhile, but then she'd turn back around to avoid the wind getting caught in her hair. A couple of times, Jack cracked jokes and pointed out certain landmarks that he remembered as they got closer. When finally, at around 11:20 P.M., they saw a sign that said _Chippewa Falls- 15 miles. _

They continued along their way, the time shedding off second by second as they drove on. The driver never once complained of being tired, or cramping. He made each necessary stop quickly and effectively, and led them safely along the road leading to the street that John would pick them up on. They drove only about 10 more minutes to that very street, and then the driver smiled, pointing to a pair of headlights in front of them.

"There's John-boy. You two enjoy Chippewa Falls; it's been a pleasure driving you tonight, sir, madam."

Rose nodded her head in acknowledgement and took the hand he offered her as she stepped out of the car.

"Thank _you, _sir."

Jack shook his hand before walking to the trunk to get out their boxes and bags with Rose. Jack heard a car-door shut, and turned to see John walking towards him. He smirked and walked to his cousin, beckoning Rose to follow him. Since they were holding boxes, there were no handshakes, but Jack nodded his head towards Rose.

"John, it's so great to see you again, buddy. This is Rose; this is the woman I've told you about."

John appraised her silently, just as Rose appraised him. He had a lot of Jack's same features: his nose, his hair, and his build. His hair was a little darker than Jack's, but not by much. His eyes were a lighter shade of color than Jack's, seeing as Rose had never seen a pair of more breathtakingly blue eyes, but they were still quite nice. He took the boxes she was holding out of her grasp and smiled.

"Just as beautiful as he described you, and more! Come, darling, don't be carrying these heavy things."

Rose blushed and followed behind Jack as he winked at her.

"You really nailed it didn't you, cousin?" John asked after ushering Rose to get into the back seat of the car.

Jack blushed and Rose could see it as the street lights illuminated his face.

"I did, huh? She's amazing, John; so wonderful."

John smiled. "I'm glad you found that someone. Jack, it's so good to see you again; to see you happy."

Jack nodded. "It's great to see you again, John. It's been too long."

"Yeah, since we was in diapers!" John laughed.

Jack shook his head. "No, no: Youngsters, maybe, but not toddlers."

"You're right. Let's get you two home, eh?"

Jack nodded. "Sounds great."

The only had to drive another ten minutes to their final destination, and when they pulled into the driveway, Rose gasped.

"It's _gorgeous _here," she breathed, her eyes widened in awe.

The countryside was beautiful out here: the hills rose up high with lush green grass and beautiful flowers covering them, the cattle were all asleep in sporadic places on the thick grass, or in the small barns built on the property. Then, Rose averted her attention away from her sideward glance out the window, and took in the house they had pulled in the driveway of.

Their home.

The house was quite tall: two stories with thick country doors, and wooden shingles all along it. The house itself was a vibrant white, with no smudges, and no marks or nicks. There were about five stairs leading up to the front door, and a thin screen created the front porch with two whicker chairs sitting in front of it. Tears stung at Rose's eyes as she looked away from their home, to Jack's childhood home to the right. The building was only one story, but the exterior was just as beautiful: a light blue with a long walkway littered with stones and ivy, and beautiful bushes of roses flowering on either side. Rose understood why Jack loved it so much out here: It was beautiful, quiet, and serene.

"You like it?" Jack asked nervously.

John smirked as he took in Jack's worried expression. Rose turned to both of them, beaming.

"I _love _it here, Jack."

They all stepped out of the car then, and John helped Jack grab all of their belongings as he had the first time. Then, he began walking up the walkway to the stairs. Jack followed behind, and Rose behind both of them, but then John made a sudden right turn, cutting through the bushes leading towards Jack's childhood home. Jack stopped dead in his tracks, and called out for John to stop as well. His cousin turned to him, a huge smile on his face, and laughed.

"I'm not moving, Jack! I paid off _your _house!" He set the boxes down and walked towards him before embracing him in a tight, manly hug. "I've been waiting for you to come home for so long, little cousin."

Tears flowed freely down Rose's cheeks now, and she jumped into Jack's arms when John had pulled away. Jack laughed, spinning her wildly as his own eyes hazed over with un-shed tears. Rose kissed him full on the mouth, holding him as close as possible. Her thoughts settled on one thing in that moment that made her heart leap with silent joy: their children would grow up just as Jack had…

And she wouldn't want it any other way.

_Author's Note: Yes, this chapter was longer than my normal! Haha, I hope you all enjoyed it! Next chapter will be jumping ahead in time a bit, since I want to get a move on with this story. Do you like John? You will be seeing a lot of him! And in the next 5-10 chapters you will all be getting two VERY big surprises…Eeeek, I am SO excited for you all to be introduced to a long forgotten face once more…_

_Review, please! Oh, and today's interactive question, (some will be VERY vital to the plot, some will be small), is: __**For the next chapter, I will be jumping ahead. Would you like for it to be a month, or two months ahead, and would you like for them to already be married, or see the wedding? **_

_Thanks for the feedback in advanced!_

_Blessings,_

_Sarah. _


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's Note: Yup, we're moving fast now. Enjoy, all! Please review! Thank you SO much for all of the support; I really appreciate it! Can you believe we're on chapter 10? Double digits! *Virtual party cake for everyone!*_

_Blessings,_

_Sarah_

Jack appraised his appearance in the mirror.

This _had _to be the most _terrifying _day of his _entire _life.

They had been settled into their new home, (his childhood home), for a month and a half now, and today was the day that Jack was going to ask Rose to marry him. Jack had never been more nervous in his life. Honestly, in his heart, he knew that he felt like he and Rose were already married, but he wanted it to be official, ceremonial. Jack just wanted to give her absolutely everything he could in life, and wasn't a ring and a wedding the _least _he could give her? He sighed and adjusted the tie around his neck, loosening it so he could breathe easier. He had borrowed a suit from John, and he had made reservations at the biggest restaurant that was in town, according to his cousin. Although it wasn't incredibly elegant, it was quite big, and with the atmosphere warm and inviting, Jack knew that Rose would love it.

"Jack?" Rose called upstairs.

"Yes, love?" He called back.

"Our reservations are in 30 minutes, you are aware, right?"

Jack walked out of their bedroom, grinning. "I am _quite _aware, Rose, are you?"

Then, she walked out of the shadow of the hallway, and into the light so that he could take in her full appearance. Jack would never know how she had the ability to look _more and more stunning every single day. _He took in her appearance, then, blinking rapidly at the sight of her.

"R-rose, you look absolutely wonderful," he pressed out, walking down the stairs quickly.

"And you look handsome as ever," she replied, kissing his cheek.

Her hair was full and curly, falling just below her shoulders, and she wore a long, form fitted black dress. She had on simple earrings for jewelry, and she had a small, silver barrette in her hair. She didn't look _half _as 'dolled-up' as she had on Titanic, with Cal and her mother, but Jack smiled at the sight that was his woman and how she could still clean up, and do a marvelous job of it. By looking at her, she didn't appear third class…Nor did either of them appear third class. They were simply _normal. _

"Ready, Rosaline?" Jack asked, using her full name since he had just begun telling her how mch he loved her _actual _name instead of just shortening it all of the time.

"Ready, Jack."

She took his arm then as he led her out to the car. They would be using John's until they saved up enough money for their own. Jack had applied for two jobs in the last few weeks: one for illustrating books, and one for a waiter at a local small, family restaurant. Both had seemed quite interested in him, and part of him even hoped to get _both._ He would do anything to give Rose the life she deserved. He opened the car door for her as he jumped into the front seat and started the engine. The restaurant was only a couple of minutes into town, so they got there quickly without much conversation. They were taken to their table quickly, and Jack was now sitting across from her, hiding behind his menu and pulling giggles out of her by glancing up from behind his menu every few seconds.

"What are you doing? You're such a child!" She laughed.

Jack chuckled. "Well, with all due respect, miss, I believe laughter is the best medicine!"

"But, I am not at all sick," she stated slowly.

Jack smiled. "No, you're not. That pretty much defeats the purpose of my statement, huh?" He asked, smiling nervously; foolishly.

"Jack, are you alright?"

He rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants and nodded tensely. "I-I'm fine."

"Jack, no you aren't."

"What do you mean I'm not?"

"You're acting, _strange." _

Jack took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I'm just not very good at these kind of things."

"What kind of things?" Rose asked softly, her hand resting on top of his.

"Uh, formal dinners, of course. What were they like in first class?"

"Jack," she began slowly. "You have _been _to a first class dinner."

Jack laughed, again, nervously. "Yes, yes, you're right, I have."

They sat there in silence for awhile, other than ordering their meals. Rose was sipping her ice tea and staring at her hands as though she was quite interested in them. She glanced around the restaurant after awhile, smiling at the smell of pumpkin pie and woodwork. There was a country feel everywhere you looked: signs for ice fishing, buckets of peanuts, and slices of homemade pie in a glass pie case on the counter. Rose smiled at Jack, and saw that he had been staring at her. He smiled back, but looked over in the direction of the waitress walking towards them, and took her hands in his own quickly.

"Rose, I brought you here because I want you to know how very much I love you. Titanic bringing me to you, is something I would never have changed. I've travelled the world, Rose, and no woman I have drawn has been as beautiful as you. I have been in many relationships, none of which gave me the satisfaction, and feelings that you have. I have held money before, that made my heart soar, just to see cash, in my own hands…But the soaring was nothing compared to the fireworks you give me every time you look at me. The ones I get, here," he pointed to his heart. "They're bigger than the emergency ones Titanic set off that night. Rose, I could never live without you."

The waitress walked hesitantly towards them, but took her cue at those last words, and placed he thick slice of pecan pie in front of Rose. There, sitting atop the whipped cream, was a thin gold band holding a small, shimmering diamond.

"Rose, will you marry me?"

Rose looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Jack, I could never say no!"

She jumped up from where she was sitting, and caused a scene that her mother would have _killed _her for. She threw her arms tight around Jack's neck, and kissed him full on the lips, pulling him close to her. He picked her up, spinning her around the room as the restaurant guests cheered and whistled. Rose loved this life.

There was nothing she would ever trade it for.

_Author's Note: Yeaaaaah…I just got the cutest mental pick of a big piece of pie with the ring on the whipped cream…So country, and so truly Jack. I like seeing him in this REALLY country setting, Idk why. Yes, Paris reminds me of him and his art, but Jack's heart is really in Wisconsin…And I am LOVING exploring this side of him and their relationship. I really hope you guys are too! Okay, so, for next chapter's question: __**Would you like a little get together with John, Jack taking Rose to a place close to his heart in Chippewa Falls, or Rose finding a new friend in Wisconsin? **_

_Looking forward to your feedback! Not all chapters will be, 'What do you what next?' since I have TONS of SURPRISES planned, but I really like the interaction, so I will always have a little something there for you guys to answer. Please review!_

_God Bless,_

_Sarah_


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's Note: Thank you all for the feedback for last chapter, it is greatly appreciated. One of you wanted Jack to take Rose to a place close to his heart, and another one of you wanted Rose to meet a new friend. I had a good idea for Jack taking Rose to somewhere close to his heart, so I decided to go with that, but to compromise, Rose will be meeting a new friend, __**very **__soon! Thank you all for weighing in!_

_Please enjoy, and review!_

_Blessings,_

_Sarah_

"Rose, wake-up," Jack coaxed gently at the sleeping woman in his arms.

Rose stirred slightly at the sound of Jack's voice, but cuddled deeper under the covers. Jack knew she was tired- they had been up all night talking, kissing, sharing their hopes for their future, and…some more kissing. He had given her a long night of going to the stars, and he was sure that she was just as sleep-deprived as he felt, but he had to wake her in enough time to take her to his special spot today. Eventually, after awhile of coaxing her awake, she finally cracked open her eyes and smiled at him.

"Goodmorning, Jack."

He smiled widely. "Goodmorning, beautiful."

"Why're you up so early?" She asked as she yawned and wrapped her arms around his neck.

She arched her back as she stretched and he grinned, crashing his lips against hers.

"Well, I have something for you," he pressed out, between kisses.

Rose smiled and sat up, pulling the sheets around her. "Oh, really?"

"Yes, but we have to leave now if we want to make it in time."

With that, they both got ready quickly, and by the time they had finally left to go, it was still dark outside and chilly. Rose took Jack's coat gratefully when he offered it, and wrapped it tight around her as they got into the car. They drove for awhile, on a back road with dirt and rocks littering it, and the car bumped on every small stone, causing Rose to lean over and hold onto Jack tightly. He laughed as she held him, but turned to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead when they arrived at their destination.

"Okay, Rose, I wanted to bring you here because this is where my Dad used to bring me when I was sick," Jack said quietly, opening the car door.

Rose followed him as he got out of the car and stood, flattening her skirt and glancing around. He came to stand beside her and took her hand, leading her up the green, grassy hill. She furrowed her eyebrows: _What was so special about a hill? _She realized soon, though, once they got to the top, that the hill was overlooking a vast lake, and a small deck was floating in the water. Jack guided her down the makeshift steps leading towards the floating dock and picked up the two fishing rods that rested standing up against the wooden post on the right side of the dock. He handed one to Rose, and she laughed.

"Are you serious, Jack? I don't know how to fish! Why did your Dad bring you here when you were sick?"

"Because," he smiled. "I would always get sick in the Winter, so I couldn't go ice fishing! But this lake is the warmest one we have- it had never frozen over, and the cold air didn't travel down here to often. My Dad brought me here so I could still fish. I didn't become an artist, per say, right away- My favorite hobby was always fishing, especially Ice Fishing, so my Dad brought me here when I couldn't go out on the ice."

Rose grinned, playing carefully with her fishing rod. "Were these your fishing poles?"

"Yes. That one was mine, and this," he showed her the one he was holding. "Was my Dad's. I leave them out here because no one ever comes to this lake often, and if they do come down here, well…Us Wisconsin folk don't steal each other's property."

Rose laughed. "Well, I'm glad for that. Are you going to teach me how to fish properly then, Jack?"

Jack nodded and pulled her close to him, touching under her chin lightly with his pointer finger. He lifted her head ever-so slightly and leaned down to kiss his lips longingly. He set the fishing rod down gently and placed both of his hands on either side of her face, rubbing his lips against hers. Rose set her rod down too, and held him lose, wrapping both of her arms around his waist. She gripped the back of his shirt tight and pulled him to sit next to her on the floor of the dock. She leaned back and he leaned in closer, supporting the back of her head with his hand. He ran his other hand through her hair, breaking it free of it's braid.

"My Dad always told me I'd bring a special lady here someday: I never believed him."

"Why not?" Rose asked, staring into his eyes as she rested her hand on his cheek.

He reached up to hold her wrist. "Because I never did. You're the only woman I've ever brought here; Now, I believe it."

Rose laughed, pulling him back against her lips. "Thank-you, Jack, for sharing this with me."

"Well, you are that one special lady."

After a few moments, Jack helped her up and led her to the very edge of the dock, where he stood behind her, and helped her cast her line into the lake. He rubbed her shoulders as the sun began to rise and kissed her ear softly. She waited for anything to bite, and wait, she did. It took awhile of standing there before anything bit her line, but when it did, Jack immediately helped her reel it in and remove the fish from the line. She screeched as the fish squirmed on the deck, and then, went still. She laughed, gasping for air as the fish had, and tears came falling from her eyes.

"I never thought there would be anything as empowering as spitting over the side of a boat, but there is something!"

Jack laughed too as he took the hook out of the fish's mouth. He looked up from his position of kneeling on the dock, and squinted his eyes against the sun. "And what is that, Rosaline?"

"Catching _my own _dinner!"

"Well, my dear," he said, handing her the fish. "You have _lived _as a third class for plenty of time now, and finally, you can _hunt _as one!"

_Author's Note: I really liked the banter at the end..Jack's little hunting joke, and their whole time spent on the little pier was so much fun to write. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter-I am looking forward to some feedback! Oh, and Rose will meet a new friend real soon! Question for next chapter is this: __**If Jack were to drawn Rose again, what setting do you think they would be in/he would want her in, or if Jack were to teach Rose how to draw something what would it be, and which would you like to see more? Her learning or her being drawn again?**_

_Looking forward to what you all come up with!_

_By the way: For everyone who was concerned, ( LOL), my Titanic project went MARVELOUSLY! I was able to hold strong under all my teacher's questions, so I was a very happy camper Friday (: _

_Thanks for all the continued support- Please review!_

_God Bless,_

_Sarah___


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who weighed in on this next chapter- I came to a happy medium for how Jack would draw Rose for the first time after Titanic. Here it is:_

_Blessings,_

_Sarah_

Jack took in her features for a long bit of time as he sat on the couch, stroking her bare legs that were resting across his lap. He watched as her chest rose and fell beautiful in synch, and her lips parted ever so slightly every time she exhaled. Her saw her face: void of make-up, creams and jewelry. Her hair was air dried; natural: thick red curls fell loosely around both her shoulders. She moved her hand gently in her sleep, tucking it under her chest, and her other hand rested under back. Her chest and stomach were arched higher than her body as she rested on a thick pillow and her arm, and her toes were curled gently to ward off the chill of the living room as she stretched her legs along his. He caressed her smooth, white skin gently as he looked at her legs resting on his lap, and her toes. The nails were short; clean. Her toes were very white and thin; small.

Jack grinned as he reached over the side of the couch to retrieve his sketchbook from the floor. He opened it and his dark, charcoal pencil rolled out. He grabbed it and placed it between his teeth as he opened the sketchbook to a blank page, and flipped it so that it was elongated. He grabbed the pencil out of his mouth, and knitted his eyebrows together in deep concentration.

_"So serious!" Rose joked, looking at him from her naked position on the bed…Er, couch. _

_ "Stay still," he smiled back slightly once he had stopped tensing up for a moment. _

_She was the most beautiful woman he had ever drawn. She had the most beautiful body, eyes, hair…Hands. _

Jack sketched out her form lightly, brushing the pencil just barely on the paper. Back and forth he stroked the led, creating lines to make a portrait so life-like that it was an exact replica of Rose, just smaller. He kept a straight face, working diligently as he outline the small curves of her nightgown, the deep shading of it bunched up around her legs. He took much care in drawing her lips- Not too plump, but not thin, for her lips were nothing but thin, but also, not fat. He messed up on the top one ever so slightly, though, when she opened them to yawn. He knew she was stirring and would be awake soon, so when she cracked her eyes open and called out softly before she sat up: "Stay still, love."

Rose furrowed her eyebrows for a moment, but once she focused her eyes and caught sight of his sketchbook in hand, she smiled. White teeth bore, her cheeks plump from the smile, Jack couldn't help but grin back at the beautiful woman.

"You're drawing me?"

"Yes, I am, Mrs. Dawson."

"Do you expect me to be a paying customer?"

"Only if you pay with your love," he quipped, drawing out her hand now.

His other arm simply led behind her back, so her hand disappeared under her body, but he began drawing the hand under her chest after he drew out her upper body. He blushed slightly, shading in under the sections that needed to be darker. Sunlight was just cracking in through the small window near the front door, so he left some room for highlight and shaded the rest. Soon, he was finished with the whole body and face, and began the task of drawing out her hair. Down to the last strand, he worked his way through the sea of red, placing it just a beautifully flowing as it was in real life. At that thought, he smiled. That was a false statement altogether: her hair on the paper wasn't as beautiful as in real-life, even though he had drawn it.

Her beauty could never be put onto a meager piece of paper.

In an instant, he wanted nothing more than to be lying next to her. He finished quickly, scraping the pencil across the paper roughly as he thought of her. She saw his sudden change in demeanor and knew him well enough to know what he wanted. She waited for him to finish, offer her a gentle smile, and set the sketchbook aside. Then, she sat up quickly and wrapped an arm behind his neck, pulling him down to lie closely next to her. He rested his head on top of hers, their noses touching as he maneuvered himself to place his arm under his back and pull her up to stay as near to him as possible. She smiled as her hair fell against her pillow in a red halo around her. He crashed his lips against hers in an instant. He tangled his free hand in her hair, and scrunched its curls, wanting so badly to know how he deserved the beautiful woman lying on his couch. She ran her fingers down his neck, and then left on thumb on his cheek as she wrapped the rest of her hand behind his head.

"Jack, can there be stars in our sky though it's morning?"

Jack smiled. "Anytime I'm with, there are stars."

She stared into his eyes and situated herself more comfortably as he leaned down to place a kiss on her neck.

"Take me there," she whispered, pulling him close.

Jack kicked off his shoes, and took one fleeting glance at her beautiful, emerald eyes, before crashing his lips against hers once more.

"Take you where?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

She guided his hand to the side of her neck and looked up at him. His blue eyes bore into hers and filled her with such intensity and warmth she knew she had felt nothing close to it before.

"To the stars."

He consented.

_Author's Note: It is SO much fun writing fluff!(: Okay, so, we are coming up on the wedding pretty soon! The next chapter, Rose is going to go shopping for a dress (SQUEALS), and she will be meeting that new friend I asked you all about! Next chapters question is going be this: __**Would you like Rose's new friends name to be Ruth, (so mean, I know! Lol), or Vivian? **__I know it is the simplest of questions, but I just think it's cute to involve you guys even in the little things! Thanks for reading, as always, and please continue to review! I am seriously still SO mind-blown from all of the amazing support and feedback I have gotten for this story! It means so much to me, you guys are the best!_

_Blessings,_

_Sarah_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Author's Note: Sorry it's taken a few days for an update. I am finishing up my last two weeks of school before summer, and I have been real busy with another story of mine that is having its last chapter posted tonight- accomplishments, yay! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and keep reading even though it took a bit longer than usual! Please review! I love feedback! Oh, and speaking of feedback, most of you liked the name Vivian: So, here is the result of that!**_

_**Blessings,**_

_**Sarah**_

Rose wandered around the marketplaces in awe. John had lent Jack some money for the groceries and gasoline they needed that week, so once everything was accounted for, Jack handed Rose the rest of the money. It felt odd to have cash in her hand, since her family never let her handle anything of the financial matter. Rose was never really involved in much of her family's business, truthfully. Jack had told her that giving her money could give her the sense of empowerment she had in the relationship…And indeed it did. Rose was walking the streets with a smile plastered on her face. She had one place in mind that she was dying to go to, and that was the Bridal Boutique. Rose couldn't believe that she was _actually _engaged to Jack. She had never thought she would be able to escape her engagement to Cal, and now, here she was: trying to find a shop that sold dresses so she could marry the man of her dreams. In her dreams, money didn't matter, nor did social class; love did.

Eventually, Rose came to the front door of a shop that advertised bridal gowns for half-off the original price. Feeling thrifty, (and wanting to save as much money as possible for their future), Rose walked inside and heard the little bell above the door ring as she opened it. She was greeted with the site of countless white dresses lining the walls. She sucked in an excited inhale of breath and walked up to the counter. She hit the small bell resting on the table and waited for someone to come to her assistance. She had her eyes on one dress, in the far back, already and she wanted someone to take it down for her. The dress she noticed was a pure white, form-fitted gown that fell into a long train in the back. Pearls lined the sleeveless neckline, and the outsides of the train. It hung loosely on a black hanger higher up than the other gowns. Rose didn't have to wait too long for someone to walk behind the counter, and she smiled at the young woman.

"What can I help you with, miss?" The woman asked cheerfully, twirling a lock of her dark brown hair.

Rose smiled. "I'd like to try on a dress," she hesitated.

"-Vivian," the woman that appeared to be Rose's age, replied. "My name is Vivian. You can call me Viv; what dress do you need?" She asked, walking out from behind the counter.

"That one, above the third shelf."

Rose pointed out the dress and followed behind Vivian who carried a tall stick with a small hook on the end. She easily guided the device up to the hanger holding Rose's preferred dress and brought it down so Rose could rest it over her arm.

"Do you have a fitting room free?" Rose asked, feeling the soft silk of the gown.

Vivian smiled and nodded. "I'd give you a corset and lace it for you, but I can see your just about a stick, so it isn't necessary. Go try her on and then come out!"

Rose smiled and nodded before bunching up the dress as gently as possible and going into the fitting room. It took awhile to slip into the loose fabric, but she finally did, and she then exited the fitting room and called for Vivian. In an instant the young woman was behind Rose, lacing up the back of her gown.

"It's like a visible corset!" Rose exclaimed, looking behind her at her reflection.

Vivian chuckled. "Yes, it is," she pulled the strings tight, and Rose sucked in a deep breath as she thought of her mother. "This style of dress is brand new- you're lucky it's on sale! It was going for a fortune!"

Rose smiled and waited patiently for the dress to be laced up. Finally, when the strings were all tied into a tight, fluffy bow, Vivian grabbed the two sides of the train and hooked them on the small buttons that were secured at both sides of Rose's hips. Rose turned to face the mirror frontwards then, and her breath caught in her throat. Vivian rested her hand on her hips and smiled.

"You look stunning! You have to buy this dress! Who is the lucky man?"

Rose blushed. "Jack. His name is Jack."

"Very nice name, and yours is?"

"Rose."

"I've always loved that name. I've always wanted a friend named Rose."

"Well, you seem kind enough- now you have made a friend named Rose."

Vivian grinned. "Rosalyn, or Rosaline?"

"Rosaline," Rose replied happily, still staring at herself in the mirror.

"Oh, Rose, take down that gorgeous red hair of yours! What business do you have locking away all those beautiful curls God gave you?"

Vivian reached up and gently freed Rose's hair from the tight bun it was held in, and her red sea of curls fell just below her shoulders gracefully.

"They're exactly in place even when you've done nothing to provoke them- simply gorgeous!"

"Thank you very much."

"Your fiancé must _love _this head of hair."

Rose laughed. "Well I do suppose he does; He's never mentioned it specifically."

Vivian smiled. "So we found a dress quite easily, huh?"

Rose nodded, turning sideways and pushing her hair fully behind her. She smiled into the reflective glass. "This is definitely the one."

Vivian rang Rose's dress up quickly and slipped in a free hair clip to push up the side of her hair with. Rose took the dress bag and smaller bag gratefully and handed over the money. After insisting that Vivian spend dinner with them the next night, Rose left the shop. She had spent two hours out already and wanted to get home in enough time to start dinner for Jack. She felt bad that he had to cook so often and she had been working hard on learning better skills. She walked down the street briskly, smiling at various passers-by as she walked. She wasn't far from their home, and she had enjoyed the fresh air immensely. She loved their little house on the countryside, but sometimes she felt a little stir-crazy. It was moments like those in which she would either go for a walk, or ask Jack to teach her more about household cleaning and cooking.

Rose approached their driveway soon and saw that the Master Bedroom's light was on- she could already visualize it now: Jack lying in their bed, reading a book or leaning over his sketchpad. Rose smiled and rushed to the front door, yanking it open and not caring to shut it softly behind her.

"Jack! I'm home!" She yelled, resting her small purse on the table and laying the black dress bag across the couch.

Jack came bounding down the stairs quickly in only his trousers with the blackness of charcoal smudging etched into the pads of his fingers. He enveloped her in a tight hug before kissing her softly on the lips. She smiled against his kiss and pulled away regretfully.

"How was your day out on the town?" He joked.

"Wonderful! I got a wedding dress, and I met a new friend."

Jack's eyes rested on the bag on the couch then and he grinned, walking towards it. He had just put his hand on the zipper when Rose swatted it away.

"Jack! It's bad luck for you to see the dress before the wedding."

Jack grinned. "Isn't it only bad luck if I see it _on _you before the wedding?"

Rose stared at him curiously for a moment, and then shrugged. "I don't know, but I still want you to be surprised."

Jack sighed. "Oh, alright."

He kissed her forehead lightly and offered her a kind smile. "Well, if you're happy with it, then I am happy with it. I'm sure it's stunning. You could come to the wedding in rags, Rose, and you would still be absolutely stunning."

He cupped her face between his hands and placed a soft kiss on her nose. Butterflies swarmed in Rose's stomach and she leaned against him, wrapped one arm around his neck as he moved his hands around her waist. She kissed him on the lips whole-heartedly, whispering 'I love you', into his ear before pulling away. He held her tight even though they were simply standing there, in the middle of the living room. He held his arms wrapped protectively around her, wanting her to feel safe. Then, he stared deeply into her eyes; warmly- wanting her to feel loved. Rose stared back into Jack's eyes with just as much warmth as his own. Jack led her to the kitchen, pulling out a chair for her to sit on at the table. The table in the kitchen had been his parents, and running his hands across the nicked mahogany brought back many memories for Jack.

Looking up from where he had been deep in memories, Jack saw that Rose was smiling at hime from where she sat across the long table.

"We're so far away," she quipped.

Jack shook his head, and reached out his hand, urging her to do the same. She stretched hers out as long as she could and their fingers grazed one another.

"See? We're always in each other's grasp."

Rose's eyes filled with tears as she stood up quickly and ran to embrace him. He welcomed her into his arms eagerly and kissed her forehead, keeping her close to him.

"I love you, Rosaline Dawson."

"I love _you, _Jack Dawson."

_Author's Note: I know you guys had to wait SO long for an update, and I am SO sorry. I hope this was worth the wait though! I am not too sure what to do for next chapter seeing as there is a lot I need to get covered, so if any of you have suggestions, I would GREATLY appreciate them. The actual question for the next chapter, though, is: __**What do you think the craziest thing Jack would ask Rose to do with him is? They have already moved, and gotten engaged…What do you think Jack will propose to do next, or Rose even? **_

_Hope the chapter lived up to everyone's expectations!_

_You guys are the best; I don't know what I'd do without you all!_

_Blessings,_

_Sarah_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Author's Note: I got so, so, SO many ideas for this chapter, my mind is just in over-ride! Lol. Oh, and before I forget- I have gotten a lot of reviews asking about babies…Now, they aren't married yet, so it's still a little while away, but the baby thing…is going to come as a big shock to you all, so I will be easing into it soon after the wedding. I estimate 2-3 chapters left until the wedding. Thanks to HystericalConfession for giving me the idea of Jack having other family members: He only has his cousin and uncle left, so now you meet that uncle! The wedding will be small, with Vivian, his Uncle William, and his cousin, John. Anyway, here is a cute, adventurous chapter for all of my lovely reviewers! By the way, I now have 91 reviews! I think we can make it to 100 with this chapter! You guys are THE best! So sorry for taking so very long to update- I hope this makes up for it, lovelies! Enjoy! **_

_**Blessings,**_

_**Sarah**_

Jack held out the thick pair of light-brown trousers to Rose, waving them in her face. She scrunched up her nose and shook her head, managing a flabbergasted chuckle.

"What are these for?" She asked, taking them by the waistband and watching Jack's face expectantly.

He smiled slightly and un-buckled the seatbelt holding him in the car.

"We're going horseback riding today- that's the surprise."

Rose's eyes widened and she shook her head. "_Jack! _Are you serious? In trousers? And no, side-saddle?"

"Just like we planned," he replied, satisfied with her confirmation.

Rose laughed excitedly as Jack stepped out of the car and hurried to the passenger's side to open Rose's door. She waited politely for him to let her out and curtsied jokingly when she swung her feet onto the pavement. Jack kissed her hand and led her along a path littered with hay and rotten apple cores. Rose would have been disgusted if she wasn't staring at Jack's back the whole time, holding his hand tight and following his lead closely. After walking for awhile, they came to an old set of barn doors and Jack led her inside gently. He rested his hand flat on the small of her back as they entered.

"Uncle Will!" Jack called out, his voice echoing off the bright red walls.

"Jack!" A forty or so year old man with a thin slash of brown hair, and deep blue eyes yelled as he hurried towards his nephew.

He enveloped him in a tight hug and then turned to Rose. She held out her hand uncertainly, and was surprised when the man embraced her tightly as well. Rose smiled after her initial shock wore off and pulled away only seconds later.

"Uncle William, this is Rose, my fiancé."

William looked her over, appraising her beauty, and then beamed at Jack.

"Well, boy, look at what you've gone a landed yourself- royalty."

Rose blushed, shaking her head.

"I'm surely not," she replied, taking Jack's hand. "I'm nothing more than a country girl."

Jack grinned and kissed her hand. "Now you are, love, which is why we need to get you on one of these lovely animals here."

William took that has his cue and ushered them to follow him to the back stalls. They walked past many horses, and young pigs. William explained details of the farm as they walked, congenially speaking of his plans for the future of his livestock, any animals that were battling illness, and how he had improved the house so immensely since Jane died. Jack's aunt had passed away only a year ago, and he was glad to know that his uncle had finally been able to move at least some of her things. He owed it to himself to take care of himself. Jack wondered what he would be like if he ever lost Rose. He supposed that he would feel just as his uncle did: lost as well.

Eventually, Jack came to the stall he had been waiting to: the one that held the horse he rode all of his life growing up in Chippewa Falls. The horse was albino: brightly white, with fierce blue eyes like Jack's. His uncle had always told him there was something special about the immediate bond Jack and his horse, Casper, had. Jack hoped that the intense trust they had from that first moment could be found in Rose too. He came face to face with the mammal, grinning as he ran his hand through the transparent, yellow-tinged mane.

"Casp, look at you. You're growing up so much, boy. I've got a new friend for you; a new rider to keep you young, hm? What do you say?"

The animal nuzzled Jack's cheek rather roughly and Jack laughed, placing a hand on either side of the animals face, ruffling his ears.

"Rose, c'mere, come pet him."

Rose walked forward hesitantly and raised a shaky hand. Jack took her unsure hand in his own and rested it where his had just been on the animal's mane. Casper let out a contended noise, and Jack nodded his approval.

"You can ride him, Rose, he's all set."

"Are you sure?" Rose asked nervously.

Jack simply nodded.

After Rose had changed in the small outhouse just out back, she walked up to Jack with trousers two sizes too big, and her hair pulled back in a tight bow.

"Ready to ride like a man?"

"I think so," she replied uncertainly. "Am I?"

Jack stared at her for a moment, taking in her beauty even in those ridiculous pants. He nodded slowly and nodded towards his uncle, signaling that they had everything under control. William tipped his straw hat at Rose and walked off to the small house off the side of the farm. Jack took Rose into his arms, then, kissing the top of her nose. He lifted her in his strong arms, and placed her on the horse. Opening the stall, he guided the animal into the open, grazing area. He turned to look up into her eyes, and that's when he noticed it: she was side-saddling.

"Oh, no, no- not going to work, Rosaline."

Rose blushed. "I'm scared, Jack!" She defended herself.

Jack grinned and trailed his fingers up her leg, leaning against Casper. Rose closed her eyes blissfully, resting her head on the horse's.

"Trust me," Jack said, heaving himself up by holding onto the saddle. Rose felt his legs wrap around her waist, his feet finding a place in the stirrups. Gently, he coaxed her left leg out of its situated position beside her right leg, and helped her straddle Casper. Rose kept her eyes closed and held on tight. Jack wrapped his arms around her in the process of grabbing the reigns, and he whispered into her ear: "Hold on tight."

She did so, and only a moment later, the horse had taken off at a trot, proceeding into a full-out sprint after only a second's time. Rose let out an excited squeal, and Jack chuckled, kissing her neck softly as he kept tight hold of the reigns.

"I've got him trained- He'll ride in circles around the whole farm, but I like holding the reigns for any unexpected obstacles.

"Like that one?" Rose asked, her eyes widening the second she opened them.

Jack chuckled as his eyes followed hers to the large rock jutting out from the ground in front of them.

"If it was as big as an iceberg, I'd be worried."

Before Rose could comment, Jack had dug his toes hard into the horse's side, and Casper jumped over the thick stone with force, throwing Rose forward when they landed on the ground once more. She laughed as Jack pulled Casper to a stop and looked into Rose's eyes.

"I get it now, Jack," she said between breaths.

He smiled, a twinkle in his eye that Rose hadn't seen like this before.

"Get what?" He asked, still giving her the look that he already knew the answer; that he was expecting her to figure it out.

"Why you were leaning off the railings of Titanic. It made you feel at home,"

"How so?" Jack smiled, leaning his face closer to hers.

"Because when you're riding a horse the right way, it feels like you're flying."

Jack crushed his lips against hers and she kissed him back heartily. Carefully, he maneuvered her to rest her back against the horse's neck, lying on the length of its body as the animal lowered itself to a resting position on the ground. Their feet dug into the dew-covered ground, the small droplets of water cooling them. Jack leaned over her, pulling his weight to rest on top of hers. She pulled his face closer, kissing his lips and cheeks eagerly. Jack breathed hot air against her neck, leaving kisses there. Eventually, he pulled her up and asked her between deep, longing-filled breaths if she wanted to go back to the barn. Rose grabbed his hand and followed him as he ran to the red doors. Swinging them open, he pulled her down to the ground the second they closed, his now bare back feeling the rough prickle of thick hay strands. Rose pressed her palms against them, leaning over Jack.

He pulled her red curls free of the tight hold the black ribbon kept them in, and pulled her head to his chest so he could smell the scent of her soap. Her hair was still damp from her morning shower, and he squeezed the remaining water out as he weaved his hand through her auburn locks.

"I love you, Rose," he breathed, pulling her lips to his once more.

"I love you too, Jack," she replied, smiling widely as she kissed him back again.

He kept her close to him as the sun rose to its full-potential for the day, illuminating the barn with hot, golden son. The light streaked across them, warming their bare backs. Jack held her close as their breathing evened-out, kissing her clammy forehead. Jack's body trembled slightly, the way it had in the back of the car on the cargo section of Titanic. Jack held her tighter, easing the satisfied shaking that coursed through his body as he calmed.

"You're so beautiful," he said softly, tracing the side of her face with his thumb.

"Have you ever brought another girl here, Jack? Taken them to the stars in more of a country setting than this?"

"No," he replied quietly; immediately. "I've always dreamed of it, though, Rose. It seems all you ever do is make my dreams come true."

Rose found his lips once more at that statement, holding his body as his breathing hitched in his throat once more.

"Jack, take me to the stars again now that I know I'm the only one you've ever brought here."

"Anything for royalty," he replied lovingly, kissing her hand.

_**Author's Note: Man, a nice, long chapter felt good after not updating for such a long time. I REALLY hope it was worth the wait and that you guys are still interested! I am so sorry it took this long, but now that it's summer, all I will be doing is updating! Please review, I really hope you guys liked this one. Next chapter's question is this: **__Next time will be the day before the wedding. Would you rather it from Rose's POV? Jack's? Or alternating? _

_**God Bless,**_

_**Sarah**_


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's Note: Okay, so the majority of you said the wedding should be in alternating POV's, so that is how it will be written! Here, until then, is Chapter 15, the night before the wedding. Next chapter, they will finally be married! My surprise for you all is coming up quite soon, so stayed tuned! Can't wait to see all of your feedback on these next few chapters! Enjoy, and please review!_

_God Bless,_

_Sarah._

Jack couldn't sleep that night. his thoughts jumbled around in his mind messily, slopping everywhere. He couldn't make sense of all the feelings, (as good as they were), that were raging inside of him. He couldn't believe that in less than 24 hours, Rose would be his wife. Sure, they already acted like husband and wife, and had even proclaimed that on the _Carpathia, _but now it was going to be official. There was something about it that made Jack immensely, _gleeful. _He was joyful, and happy, but the glee and excitement that filled him outweighed it all. He had _actually _gotten Rose to fall in love with him, and even more so, to simply give him the time of day. In only a couple of hours, it would be their wedding morning. Knowing that he wouldn't get any sleep, he simply settled under the blankets, cuddled close to Rose, and rested his heavy eyes. He remained awake, but at immense ease.

Rose slept soundly throughout the night. Though she had expected to be wide awake and nervous, she actually slept deeply, her breathing even and a smile gracing her lips as she dreamt. She dreamt of what their wedding would be like. She dreamt of her new life with Jack. Rose even dreamt of checking things off their little 'to-do' list, and having children with Jack. Rose couldn't wait to have children. Even the joyous thought of children was something that had made her skin crawl when thinking of having them with Cal, but with Jack, she wouldn't be disappointed finding out she was pregnant now. Rose knew that Jack would make a marvelous father one day, and she knew that he was the only man she would even want them with. There was something special about having children, but there was something unique about having them with someone who wanted them, and you, with all of their hearts forever.

Jack ended up falling asleep an hour before he awoke. Whereas at first, that annoyed him, he ended up being quite thankful. That hour had rejuvenated him quite enough and he was sure that he could face the day now; his wedding day. He stretched in bed, yawning, and then stood. He was careful not to wake Rose as he tip-toe'd to the bathroom and turned the water on the lowest setting possible. He splashed warm water on his face and smiled at his reflection.

"You are marrying Rose Dewitt-Bukater today, Dawson."

"Should I stand in front of a mirror and proclaim my joy over marrying Jack Dwayne Dawson today?" Rose asked, coming into Jack's side vision.

Jack blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck. He chuckled and shook his head.

"No, love, I'm only saying it because I can't believe I am marrying such a prize."

"And you aren't a prize?" She asked, snaking his arms around his neck.

Jack shook his head. "Not nearly as much as you are, if at all."

"You are," she assured. "Mr. Big Artist!"

"You are beautiful," he beamed, crashing his lips against hers suddenly.

She pulled away, giggling. "I do believe I made the correct choice in saying yes!"

She crashed her own lips against his then.

Jack smiled. "I do believe I made the right choice in asking," he replied softly.

Later on, in the afternoon, (only 5 hours before the wedding), Vivian came over to begin helping Rose prep. Jack was going to his uncle's house with John, where he would get ready and meet Rose at the small church down the street, at the altar. Jack couldn't believe that in a few short hours, it would finally be time. The next time he set foot in this home, he would be carrying her over the threshold.

"I love you, Rosaline," he breathed into her ear before kissing her lips.

"I love you too," she replied quietly. "I'll see you soon."

Jack beamed at her and nodded. "Not soon enough!" He called before leaving.

Vivian chuckled as she walked out of the bedroom with Rose's dress and veil.

"You two are precious!" Vivian gushed, lacing up Rose's corset.

"Oh, Vivian, don't be ridiculous, we aren't precious, we're just-"

"-very in love," Vivian offered instead.

Rose smiled, and nodded. "Yes," she agreed. "Very in love."

Vivian finished lacing up the last row of the corset and then set to work on Rose's makeup. Her hair would be done next, seeing as Vivian was professionally curling every inch, and then her dress, shoes, and veil would be placed on. Vivian had been sure to bring her something to borrow of hers, something blue, something old, and something brand new since she knew Rose had only Jack's family attending their small vow-exchange.

"Blue, my favorite crystal bracelet that blue reflects off of when sun hits it," Vivian began, clamping the bracelet on Rose's thin wrist. "Old, this hair clip of my grandmother's; this will hold your curls tight in the back." She slipped the small pin into Rose's hair. "Something borrowed, my thin silver chain necklace. It doesn't have a charm, I know, but I thought it looked just elegant enough for you without over-taking the dress."

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but Vivian silenced her by holding out a medium-sized, square box.

"Something new."

Rose opened it to reveal the all white, lace garter. She looked up and saw Vivian grinning.

"Hopefully John catches it. If he does, I will be _sure _to catch the bouquet."

Rose rolled her eyes, swatting her (with said), bouquet.

Vivian stepped back and appraised her work as Rose thanked her over and over for her help and the items. Vivian simply smiled and offered her a quick your welcome before she finished fluffing her hair, and then checking the time.

There were only 30 minutes before the wedding began.

Yes, it was _finally_ time.

**Author's Note: Next chapter is the wedding! I am so excited and I hope you all are as well! Can't wait for all the surprises! Squeals! My question for next chapter is**_**: What song do you want their first dance as a couple to be to? **_**Alright, thank you ALL for the reviews. I don't know what I'd do without so much feedback…I am so glad everyone loves this story so much! Please continue reviewing, messaging me, etc. it really makes a difference! Thanks for all the ideas and responses to the questions so far- Next chapter will be alternating POV's, not unlike this chapter was, but a bit more dramatic, and of course, very long. (: I will update soon, as I said, it's summer now!**

**God Bless,**

**Sarah**


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: The wedding! Enjoy everybody! I know you have all been excited for this! (: Please review, although I know with all of your guys' support that won't be a problem. **

**Blessings!**

**Jack's POV**

She walked slowly down the aisle, the few curls that framed her face bobbing gently in their own sea of red. Her elegance was immeasurable; her beauty- breathtaking. I couldn't help my breath catching in my throat at the sight of her. I coughed uncomfortably, trying to rid myself of the mounting pressure my head was filling with. My thoughts were only on her, but I felt so far away. If this was the dream I felt it was, I never wanted to wake up. I smiled at her and watched her cherry-red lips break into a dashing grin. Her cheeks inflated and her dimples showed prominently on her porcelain- perfect face. John gripped my shoulder tightly as Rose came to stand in front of me, mouthing 'I love you', quickly. The pastor gave me the cue and I leaned forward, raising the veil over her head, and flipping its thin material behind her so I could now see her face with nothing in the way.

**Rose's POV**

Jack's hand grazed my cheek as he took the veil off my face and placed it behind my head. I quickly grabbed his wrist, staring into his eyes for a moment before the pastor began to speak. I couldn't believe I was actually marrying Jack. For months I had thought my fate lied with Cal, and that one day I would be standing before him in a gown, exchanging vows that I wished I could break the second I spoke them. To Jack, though, I meant the vows- I wanted nothing more than to give him my heart. I stared at him longingly. His appearance reminded me of the night he shared dinner with my family and I as thanks for saving me. His blonde hair was slicked back, and he had groomed nicely: he had on a black tuxedo, white dress shirt, and a red tie. I held a bouquet of red roses. We matched so simply, yet so stunningly. He looked so handsome, and I wished I was already in his arms being carried over the threshold.

"Cold feet, dear?" Jack asked in a whisper, smiling nervously.

I was startled momentarily, but then realized the pastor had asked me for my vows. I came back to reality and offered Jack my hands, which he took gently in both of his sweaty ones.

"Jack, I haven't known you long, but I feel like I already know all there is to know about you. there is something truly wonderful about you, Jack; something mysterious and artistic that I want to devote my whole life to figuring out. I have never felt so swept off my feet, or so loved and protected. You're my life now, Jack. You're my family. I will love you always, and honor the way I should, because I know you will always honor me."

At this point I had tears in my eyes, and it didn't help when Jack began to share his own vows.

"Rose, Rose, Rose," he pushed a small strand of curl behind my ear and held my hands once more. "There's nothing I could sum up about you in a few short sentences that would say it all- you're simply too complex, and astonishing. Everything you do leaves me admiring you, and trying to figure you out," I laughed along with him at this but fell silent as he continued on. "Rose, I love you with all of my heart. I've never felt this way about any other woman, and it would be my honor to honor you for the rest of my life."

**Jack's POV**

There, I had done it.

The vows were given, and now we just needed the rings. Vivian stepped forward with them since we had no one young enough to be a ring- bearer, and we both took the rings for each other off the small pillow. We had used the same pillow my mother and father had. White lace, worn out at the edges.

"With this ring, I pledge to you forever, that I will never let go," I said softly, slipping the band onto her slender finger. I kissed the top of her hand as she repeated the same words and placed the ring on my finger.

I heard nothing else the preacher said except 'kiss your bride'.

So I did.

O0oo0O

**Rose's POV**

I closed my eyes as Jack wrapped his strong arms around my body and leaned down to unlock the door to our house. He kicked the door opened then, and carried me over the threshold as I giggled. He shut the door with a swift kick of the foot once more, and all but made it to the couch before laying me down and collapsing on top of me. I hiked my dress up and wrapped my legs around his back, hugging him close as his breath hit my neck, covering it in warm air. He snaked his hands behind my back, unzipping my gown. He slipped it off easily, relenting his weight on me as he stood for a few moments just to let the silk cascade to the floor. He kissed me heartily as he took time in undoing the corset, and I ran my hands through his blonde hair as he did so. I craved his love all the time. My heart had belonged to him from the moment he grabbed me off the railings, cradling me to his chest as he did now. he kissed me feverishly, mumbling 'I love you's' between each breath. But air didn't matter in that moment. Right then, and there, all that matter was him.

**Jack's POV**

Rose lived up to her name.

She was the most delicate flower- I felt as though holding her in my arms would wrinkle her petals if I held her the wrong way. But she did have thorns; thorns that she used against the world that she fought desperately to keep out now. I loved her so much. My heart beat strongly against my chest, thumping with each breath I took. I stared longingly into her eyes. I had taken Rose to the stars countless times, but in the process of this one, the first since we have actually been married, there was a new bond. I held her close as our heartbeats fell in tune together. She dug her nails into my back and kissed my lips gently.

"I love you Jack Dawson."

"I love you, Rose," I cupped her face and stared deeply into her eyes. "_Dawson." _

**Author's Note: May I OFFICIALLY introduce Mr. & Mrs. Jack Dawson! (hearts). Hope you guys liked this chapter! The question for next chapter is: **_**Would you like me to do the whole night/next morning, or skip ahead a bit next chapter? If we skip ahead we are one chapter away from the surprise. If we don't, we are two. **_**Please review! I am so excited to get these next few chapters out! Eeeep. I may even update tonight if I get enough feedback so I know what to include next chapter! ;)**

**God Bless!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: Due to HystericalConfession's immense want for an update tonight, you all are getting two chapters in one day! (If I get this up before midnight, that is!) Enjoy, please review, and next chapter, you all find out the surprise…EEEP. Thank you for all the feedback, guys, you all just mean so much to me!**

**God Bless,**

**Sarah.**

Jack rolled onto his back quickly, laughing as Rose leaned over him.

"You _really _think you're getting away that easily?" Rose asked.

"You really think you can stop me?" Jack shot back, grinning as he tumbled to maneuver his body over Rose's instead.

"Ah, no we're reversing rol-"

Jack tickled her quickly, drumming his fingers along the delicate skin of her back. She howled in laughter, curling her body tightly to get away from his fingers, but it was no use. She continued laughing, gasping for air until he relented.

"Can you ever forgive me for being unable to resist enthralling you with my marvelous tickling skills?"

Rose sat up and shook her head as she laughed, swatting his arm playfully.

"You didn't enthrall me, Mr. Dawson! You made me laugh myself silly and completely took me by surprise!" She huffed, playfully indignant.

Jack laughed, pulling her close and ruffling her hair. "My, my, Miss First-Class, it wouldn't be fun if I hadn't taken you by surprise! Princess doesn't like being swept of her feet?"

Rose stuck her toes out from under the covers and wiggled them, giggling. "Well, no I really don't. I rather prefer my feet on the ground, or lying in bed as they are now," she nudged his foot with hers. "Right next to yours!"

Jack curled his toes around hers and side as he held her body next to his. Even just lying there with Rose felt like electricity was coursing through his veins. He tugged her closer to him and she willingly snuggled in against her husband. She placed kisses on his shoulder blade, running her fingers up and down his arm. She nuzzled her nose against his shoulder, linking her fingers with his.

"I can't believe we're married," she spoke softly.

Jack nodded and stared down at their feet resting next to each other: hers were so small in comparison to his own. It was fascinating to him how he found every little thing about her adorable.

"I can't either, Rosebud."

Rose leaned up on one elbow, trailing her fingers down his bare chest now.

"Rosebud?" She inquired, grinning.

"Yes," Jack replied, leaning up as well and kissing her nose. "It was either Rosebud or Rosebush."

"Oh, Jack!" She rolled her eyes, swatting him playfully on the shoulder for the second time that morning.

Jack glanced at the clock and then looked back to his wife.

"It's already mid-afternoon. Are we ever going to get out of bed?"

Rose placed a finger to her chin, appearing to think hard over their options. Jack had already sat up and gotten ready to stand, though, when she moved quickly and knelt up on her knees, pushing her front against his back and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You sure move fast, Mrs. Dawson," he commented, grinning like a fool as he grabbed her wrist and placed a kiss on her arm. He leaned his head against her hand, and she felt the light stumble of his chin as she moved her fingers up to his head, untangling the mess of blonde there.

"Well, I just don't think we should move," she replied, trailing kisses down his neck.

Jack closed his eyes and sunk back into her embrace. "Mhmm, really?"

"Yes, really," she chuckled, placing her flat palm against his chest. "You should stay here in bed with me all day."

"All day?" He faked annoyance. "Oh no, how will I ever handle it?"

"How do you like forever instead, then?" She joked back.

"Either is perfect, Rosaline."

She said nothing, just pulled him backwards back into a laying position with her as she continued running her hand through his hair while her other rested on his chest. After awhile of no talking, she heard his gentle snores and smiled as she looked over at him. His eyes were closed, and he had a soft smile on his face. Rose placed a quick kiss on his lips before lying back down and sighing in happiness. She didn't know how she had deserved all of this. Most of her life, Rose had thought she deserved the terrible things that happened to her, including getting engaged to Cal, but Jack had showed her that she hadn't. Jack had showed her that she deserved so much more life, and she finally believed him. Rose had finally come to terms with the fact that not every unfortunate incident that befell her life was her doing…

And she had never been happier. Rose closed her eyes as she wondered how anything in her life could possibly be better. Just as she moved to wrap her arms around Jack, though, she heard the doorbell's soft chiming and furrowed her eyebrows. She wasn't too comfortable having to answer the door with Jack asleep, but it was probably just John anyway. She was a little curious as to why he would be coming over on their first day of marriage like this, but it was probably just for something minor; friendly, and he would be gone soon. She took her robe off the chair in the corner of the room and tied it loosely around her waist. She walked to the front door quietly, hoping not to disturb Jack with the creaking doors and floorboards. Finally, she un-latched the lock quickly and opened the door. An officer stood there, smiling at her amiably.

"Hello, Mrs.," he glanced at a small paper in his hand. "Dawson. Is there a Jack Dawson available that I can speak with?"

She ran her hand through her hair nervously and shook her head. "I-I would have to go get him; he's a little tied up right now…What is this about exactly, if I may ask?"

The officer smiled and nodded. "Certainly, miss. It's about a family member of his; a survivor of Titanic that claims him as a relative."

**Author's Note: Okay, next chapter, the surprise is officially unveiled! Ha ha, I am so nervous…I hope you all liked this chapter and will like the next one! Thanks for all the reviews, guys. I really appreciate it. I am so glad we're at this point- I've been planning it for awhile!**

**Blessings, and please review!**

**Sarah**


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: Finally, the chapter I have been so excited to write for you all. I hope you enjoy, and I hope all of your suspicions about a child, a miscarriage, etc. are put to rest! Here is the surprise :D **

**Blessings!**

**Sarah**

Jack held her tight, pressing her forehead to his chest as he tried hard to suppress the tears that were begging to fall from his eyes. Rose knelt beside them, rubbing Jack's back as she also rubbed the girl's in his arms. This couldn't be happening- she had _died. _Rose had seen her, _trapped. _But she wasn't: she was here, and they were all she had now. Jack lifted his head and released his hold on her ever so slightly, looking into her eyes and placing his hands on either side of her plump cheeks. She grinned at him, one front tooth missing, her brown curls in dismay and crowning her face. Her eyes sparkled with happiness and her lips stayed pulled tight in a wide smile.

"Cora, how did you get out?" Jack pressed out, wiping away a tear that managed to sneak past his eyelashes.

The little girl smiled. "Daddy pushed through the gates. He got me a boat, but he told me he had to wait for the daddy's boats," at this her smile faltered and her own eyes filled with tears. The officer looked down on her with sadness in his own eyes. "There weren't enough for my daddy, Uncle Jack. I looked for him on that other big ship but he wasn't there."

Jack pulled her close to him once more and Rose mumbled soft, soothing words to her as she rubbed circles onto the child's back. Rose looked up at the officer and asked the question that Jack had wanted to ask as well.

"So there is no one else alive for her?"

"No, ma'am. When we asked her to look over the list of survivors, she pointed out your husband. It took us a few days to find you, but we got here as soon as possible. If you deny her we will be taking her to an orphanage, just south of New York City."

"There's no way we would," Jack's head shot up quickly. "Deny her, I mean- there's no way, right, Rose?"

His eyes beseeched her to agree with him, and she laughed at the fear in his eyes. How could he think she would want Cora anywhere than right here, with them?

"Of course not, there is no way. We'll take good care of her, officer. Jack is her only family."

The officer nodded as Jack and Rose stood. Both of them took either of Cora's hands and looked into the officer's eyes.

"Well, officer, are there any papers we have to sign for this, I- how does this work, exactly?" Jack ran a shaky hand through his hair.

The officer pulled out a thick stack of parchment paper from his pocket and handed them to Jack along with a ballpoint pen.

"Here, sir, sign down below of the first two pages. The guidelines haven't been too strict, seeing as there is such a jumbled mess of missing persons. We have made sure everyone who needed to be re-united with their families was. This young girl needs family. We've been asking all the orphans to point out any family members- any acquaintances at all we have been trying. So many have been sent to the orphanages already, I am so glad Miss Cartmell has you two."

Jack squeezed Cora's shoulder affectionately, and leaned the papers against the wall to sign them. He hastily scribbled his name on the thin lines. Rose held Cora's hand tight as Jack signed his name for guardianship of her. Finally, when he was finished, he handed the papers back to the officer, he stowed them away in his coat and smiled.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dawson, Miss Cartmell, enjoy your family," he nodded towards them as he exited the home. "Good day to the three of you."

Jack and Rose stood there nervously while Cora smile up at them.

"Uncle Jack?" She asked as she stifled a yawn behind her hand.

"Yes, Cora?" He smiled.

"I'm tired," she stated quietly.

Rose took her hand that she had been rubbing her eyes with and offered Jack a smile. "I'll take Cora up to the guest bedroom and get her settled. Perhaps you can start an early dinner? Are you hungry, child?" Rose asked, smiling expectantly at the small girl.

Cora gave her a radiant smile and nodded vigorously, her hair bobbing around her chubby cheeks.

"Very, Aunt Rose."

Rose's heart stopped for a moment, but she shook it off quickly. She saw Jack grinning like a madman out of the corner of her eye.

"_Aunt _Rose?"

Cora blushed slightly. "Well, yes, you're married to my Uncle Jack," she stated happily, pointing to Rose's ring finger.

Rose looked up at Jack, then back at Cora. "Right you are, Cora."

With that she led her to the guestroom. Cora helped her make the bed with some sheets John had left folded in the cabinet, and Rose let her pick which pillows she wanted. She chose a very fluffy one with no pillowcase, and one decorative one with pink embroidery.

"We'll have to get you all washed up, and then you'll need some clothes," Rose fell deep into thought and Cora watched her patiently, dangling her feet over the edge of the bed as she sat there. "You can use one of my nightgowns for tonight, we'll just roll up the sleeves, and then tomorrow we can go into town and get you some more appropriate clothing."

Cora smiled politely and nodded. "Thank you."

A few moments later, Jack appeared in the door way. He smiled at the two, appraising his new wife's beauty and Cora's excitement. Jack couldn't believe that she was still alive. He had thought for sure that she had died along with Fabrizio and Tommy. Tears stung at the back of his eyes once more as he heard Cora's voice echoing through the hall as she screamed for help, trapped behind a third class gate. In an instant he had come to sit on the bed next to her, and hugged her close for a moment. She yawned once more as she leaned against Jack.

"When did you and Rose get married?" Cora asked curiously.

Jack chuckled. "Actually, just yesterday."

"Really? You must have looked like a princess," Cora mused, yawning yet again.

Rose nodded. "The wedding was very nice, but we can talk more about it later. You need some sleep, let's get you under the covers for a nap before dinner."

Cora nodded and slid under the covers that Jack raised above her legs. Rose came over to tuck her in tightly, and handed her the soft, embroidered pillow off the rocking chair next to her bed. Her heart broke for Cora- her father gone, and having experience something as terrifying as Titanic. Rose had been the same when her father died, though she was much older. She tried hard to put on a happy front; to be excited for life. But it was tough, and it would be tough for Cora. Rose at least buried her father with Ruth, Cora had no idea where her daddy was- only that there hadn't been enough boats. Rose smoothed back her hair and placed a quick kiss on her forehead before telling Rose she would check the dinner and bustling out of the room. Jack took this opportunity to finally speak to Cora one-on-one.

"I'm sorry about your daddy, Cora."

"It's alright, he promised me that he would always be right here with me," she rested her hand on her heart.

"You're such a strong little girl," Jack commented.

"Thank you," she said sleepily, closing her eyes. "I'm glad you and Rose could keep me. I was afraid we wouldn't find you."

"I'm a survivor, Cora, you know that."

"So am I!" She said proudly, her eyes fluttering open.

Jack laughed, nodding and tucking her in warmer. "Yes, Cora, yes you are."

He glanced out at the kitchen to see Rose bustling around, pouring different ingredients into the soup that was brewing. He saw Cora staring at her too, a smile on her face that he couldn't decipher as happy, or a sad smile. Jack ruffled her hair and placed a finger under her chin, urging her gaze to meet his own. She stared up at him with her big almond eyes, fighting to stay awake.

"Hey, Cora?"

"Yes, Uncle Jack?"

"You're still my best girl."

**Author's Note: Everyone was asking me how she could be 'having a baby but in a different way," this is how. Sorry for being so confusing, but I was just so excited for this big surprise that I had to keep it a secret! I hope you all enjoyed it. So, they have..Well, a kid, basically…but it is Cora, so it isn't all that 'mommy, daddy' fluff…Yet. I have PLENTY planned for these three, and a lot more ideas for Jack and Rose, so we aren't nearing the end or anything. I know a lot of you were crossing your fingers for an actual pregnancy, so I hope this blow was cushioned, haha. I just love Cora, don't you all? **

**Next chapter's question: **_**If Cora has a nightmare in the middle of the night, would you rather see Jack, Rose, or both wake up with her and comfort her? **_

**Please review- thank you for all the support!**

**Blessings!**

**Sarah**


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: I know I haven't updated in a bit, and I hope this makes up for it. Please review, and I hope you enjoy chapter 19! Almost to 20! Thank you so much for all the feedback!**

**Blessings,**

**Sarah. **

Rose awoke to the child's crying, and seeing that Jack wasn't awake, she stood from the bed and went to go comfort the girl herself. She tied her robe tight over her body, and walked quietly to the guest bedroom, her feet becoming progressively colder the longer she walked across the freezing cold floor. Her red curls fell over her shoulders in disarray and her eyes were heavy with sleep. She pushed open the door to the room slowly, but it creaked in response anyway. She saw Cora sitting there, her back straight against the headboard, tears falling down her cheeks as she clutched the small, decorative pillow.

"Cora?" Rose called out softly, lighting a small candle on the table near the entryway.

The small child hiccupped gently, and looked Rose's way.

"Did I wake you?" She asked, mopping up her tears with her sleeve.

Rose smiled sadly and walked over to the bed, taking a seat on the edge as she rested a hand on Cora's shoulder.

"No, I woke and then heard you. Why are you crying, Cora?"

Cora searched Rose's eyes, worried that she was only trying to make her feel better, and that she had really disturbed her. She found no hint of anger, though, and no annoyance.

"I had a bad dream," she said softly, leaning into Rose's embrace.

Rose' eyes widened for a moment, surprised at how well Cora was taking to her, but then relaxed and began rubbing the girl's back in small circles.

"What was your dream about, love?"

"I was clinging to the rails," she hiccupped again, fresh tears welling up in her eyes. "My daddy couldn't, and he fell."

Now, sobs were raking her body, she cried into Rose's chest as the rich memory of her nightmare stuck to her mind, taunting her with the horror of Titanic. Rose rocked her back and forth, rubbing her back as she tried to soothe her. What was there to really say, though? What could she possibly say that could make this any better? There was nothing, so she did what she knew to do best since being with Jack. She sang.

"_Come Josephine, in my flying machine. Up, she goes, up she goes. Balance yourself like a bird on a beam, in the air, she goes, up, she goes," _she traced Cora's features with her finger as the little girl looked up into her eyes.

"Where did you learn that song?" She asked. "I think I've heard it before."

"From Jack?" Rose offered. "Is that were you heard it?"

Cora was smiling now, and he nodded furiously. "I remember him singing that to me in 3rd class. He was teaching my daddy how to sing it since he didn't remember the words."

To Rose's surprise, this didn't cause more tears, but a bigger smile.

"Uncle Jack is always so nice to me. He loved my daddy too. Is he sleeping?"

"I was," Jack replied, walking into the room and shutting the door behind him. He threw two pillows and a bigger blanket on the bed. "But the rain woke me up."

It was then that they realized the pitter-patter of rain, and the roar of thunder. Cora clung to Rose and Jack sat next to them, wrapping an arm around them both.

"I thought maybe the three of us could camp out in Cora's room tonight," he looked at Rose. "What do you say?"

Rose smiled and nodded. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

Relief washed over Cora's face as they all settled into bed. Jack took the left side and Rose took the right, situating Cora between them. She cuddled in, still holding the small pillow, and rested her head on Jack's chest.

"Uncle Jack?"

"Yes, Cora?" He asked as he reached over to hold Rose's hand.

"Do you think _you _could sing to us now?"

Jack grinned and nodded, taking over the song from where Rose had left off. He sung to Cora as Rose rubbed her shoulder, and within minutes she was asleep again. She snored slightly, and her breathing evened out as she rested there, peacefully. Rose stared into Jack's eyes, happiness radiating to him.

"You look good," he commented, grinning.

Rose furrowed her eyebrows. "Where is this coming from?" She asked quietly, still rubbing Cora's shoulder.

"You look good for having a five year old."

Rose contained her laughter so as not to wake Cora, but her eyes filled with tears as she held it in. Jack laughed as well, purely because of her reaction, and sighed as he then looked up at the ceiling.

"So much has changed already, Rose."

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "The good thing is, they have all been wonderful changes."

Jack looked back at her now, staring into her deep, green eyes.

"You think so?"

"I know so," she nodded. "I'm glad Cora mentioned your name on the ship. She needs you, Jack."

"She needs both of us."

"I am glad she's so comfortable with me, but you, Jack…You're who she _knows_ and has a connection to. She needs to feel safe, and have some sense of normalcy- only you can give her that now."

Jack nodded and looked at Cora. She was his responsibility now, first and foremost, and he whispered a prayer to her father that he wouldn't let him down.

**Author's Note: Again, sorry for the late update! I hope this chapter was good…I am nervous about it. Please review! Question is: What do you think Jack would be most worried about- Rose feeling pushed aside, or Cora feeling pushed aside? Yeah, that's a deep one, haha. **

**Blessings!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: I am so sorry this chapter took so long to get out for you all! But I do hope you enjoy it, and still keep up with this story! Please review, and enjoy chapter 20! (: **

**Blessings,**

**Sarah.**

Cal drummed his fingers on his desk absentmindedly, sighing as he stared at the window. Ruth placed a cup of tea in front of him, dunking the bag up and down, and pulling it out before forcing any leftover juice from the grounds. She tossed it delicately into the trash bin resting beside his desk and took a seat on the chair opposite him. She peered at him over the mahogany desk, waiting for him to turn to her. He did so, but caught her eyes for only a moment before focusing on his tea. He really had no answer to any of the questions he knew Ruth was going to ask, so he would rather her feel ignored so as to maybe diverge her from asking any prodding questions. She seemed not to take the hint, though, and asked about her daughter anyway. Cal supposed he could feel a shred of sympathy for her, seeing as it _wa_s her daughter, but that still didn't change the fact that he had no idea of Rose's whereabouts; no idea how to coax her into coming back to them- to the life she belonged in.

"Cal, I was wondering if-"

"-I have heard anything? No I haven't," he almost growled.

Ruth retreated momentarily, but then swallowed thickly and stated softly: "I was wondering," she began, regaining her composure. "If we could go looking for them."

Cal stared at her for a long moment before nodding, then rubbing his chin before taking a sip of tea.

"We could do that. I agree."

Ruth exhaled a long breath she hadn't known she had been holding.

"Well where do you think we should start?" She gushed.

"Dawson seems to be the family type; the poor, homely type. Perhaps we can trace him back to his birthplace…That sentimental little gutter rat may have brainwashed her to actually enjoy life on the countryside. I am assuming, anyway, since he doesn't seem the, urm, _city _type."

Ruth nodded her head in agreement. "Quite truthful. Can you go to the courthouse?"

"I would have to go somewhere with public records open to all. I believe there is a small building downtown that preserves a few things from each family for years and years back. I just hope it isn't only our city records."

"There's a good chance it will be, though," her face fell. "What do we do then?"

"Well, I wouldn't give up hope on it yet. They hold some things from other states and I believe I can make an inquiry and they will get back to me with any written information."

Ruth nodded and fell silent. She didn't want to push her luck; that was the most Cal had ever spoken to her. Perhaps he _was _just as interested in seeing Rose safe, as she was.

"Excuse me, Cal," she pardoned herself. "I did promise your father dinner on the table by the time he arrives home."

"Thank you, Ruth," he spoke through his teeth before finishing his tea and lighting a cigar.

Blowing out smoke from the side of his mouth, he decided he would go down and make an inquiry tomorrow, and browse around a bit. Hopefully, he could find something on _that Dawson, _and bring his Rose back before sundown tomorrow. Oh, if he knew where she was- he would walk on foot if he had to. Cal had most all of his fortunes, but there were a few things he wasn't entitled to, and a couple million that he didn't inherit unless he was married. There was also that small shred of respect his father still lacked for him. Once he was married, perhaps even produced a son, his father would treat him like a true man. That was all Cal wanted: respect, and money. Rose was simply his key.

At the sound of the front door opening and shutting, Cal flicked a few loose pieces of ash off the end of his cigar, and placed it on one of the rivets in his marble tray. He heard a knock at the door of the study, and called out evenly: "Come in!" As he waited for his father to open the door. Cal assumed it was his father since no one else came to their estate this late on a Thursday, but it wasn't. With furrowed eyebrows, Cal picked up his cigar once more and puffed out a new cloud of smoke as he watched Ruth usher the cop into the room with a worried expression, before backing out and shutting the door.

"Ruth!" He called out, standing and taking the officer's hand.

Ruth re-appeared as she opened the door, and Cal offered her a seat, letting her know she could stay. Ruth smiled gratefully and took a seat on a comfy, upholstered chair.

"Caledon Hockley, sir. How can I help you?"

"It's about your father, Mr. Hockley."

"Has he gone and gotten himself in another financial mistake?" Cal offered a small laugh. "I can assure you all of our receipts are right here," he motioned to a filing cabinet next to his desk. "And we have planned out all our payments perfectl-"

"-Sir, he has done nothing wrong financially."

"Well what is it then?"

"Your father was found at his business this evening, un-responsive."

Cal went to cut him off but the officer raised a hand to him.

"We escorted him to the hospital nearby, where he has since passed away. I am so sorry for your loss, Mr. Hockley."

Cal's face drained of all color, and Ruth's eyes took on a dull grey shade as they filled with tears. Her hand covered her mouth in a quick movement, then, and Cal let his cigar fall to the floor.

**Author's Note: I know there was no Rose, Jack, or Cora, but this chapter was vital. I hope you all enjoyed and haven't lost interested…I'm so worried about this chapter and taking forever to update! Please review! And this chapter's question for next is: **_**How do YOU think Cal will react to his father's passing, and would you like for Jack and Rose to hear of it? **_

_**God Bless,**_

_**Sarah**_


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note: I am so sorry it took me this long to update. I have so many stories to keep track of, and I just wasn't inspired, but I am back now, and I hope you all enjoy this update and are still interested in this story! Please review!**

**Blessings,**

**Sarah**

_"He married, of course, and inherited his millions, but the crash of twenty-nine hit his interest hard and he put a pistol in his mouth that year…Or so I read." _

Cora played absentmindedly with the spoon that was sitting in her now cold porridge as Jack pulled on a pair of socks and battered up dress shoes.

"Where are you going today, Uncle Jack?"

"I have that job interview, you know; down at the market in town. They sell some paintings there and they may want me to produce the pictures for them."

Cora's eyes lit up. "That would be perfect for you!"

Jack ruffled her messy hair, grinning. "You bet it would, Cora."

She took a big spoonful of porridge then and beamed up at Rose who had just entered the room, with a newspaper in hand. Rose's face looked crestfallen but she offered Cora the slightest of smiles anyway before taking Jack by the elbow. He followed her into the small hallway that led to their bedroom as she stuffed the paper in his hands.

"Why are you showing me the Obituar-"

"Cal killed himself," Rose stated quickly, staring up into Jack's eyes.

"No," his eyes searched the page. "There's _no way."_

"Yes, there is. It's right there," she pointed to his name. "It's in black and white."

Jack swallowed thickly and looked into her eyes now.

"Okay, Rose, but why are you so upset?" He asked curiously. In his mind, it was sad that it was a death that were reading about, but this would keep Cal away from them forever.

"My Mom, Jack. My Mom is alone, and poor, and probably heartbroken."

"I know you care about her, Rose, but what are we going to do about it? You know how she treated you."

"I do," Rose agreed, rubbing her temples as she concentrated on her thoughts. "But she's still my mother and I can't leave her alone."

"Why don't you write her? It says something about the estate, send a letter there. They couldn't have kicked her out the second it happened."

"You're right," Rose agreed once more, taking the newspaper. "Jack? Did you see the name above Cal's, though?"

"No," Jack said skeptically, worried who else had kicked the bucket that they had to be concerned about.

"Nathan Hockley. Cal's father died, Jack, and Cal killed himself."

"I guess that means he didn't get his money, then," Jack tried to joke.

Rose glared at him. "Very funny. I'm sure he didn't, and I'm sure with that and the death of his _father, _he was completely done in."

Jack nodded, gripping her shoulders tightly. "Look, I have that job meeting now downtown. I'm sorry you've got all this to worry over right now, but how about I take Cora off your hands and you can stay home to write the letter?"

"Jack, I can watch her. She isn't a bother and we can't just pawn her off to one another. Besides," she glanced at the girl eating her breakfast and playing with the small doll Rose had bought her just the day before. "You can't take her to a job interview."

"I'll take her to see Lucille. I'm sure she can keep her for half an hour. Lucille loves kids and I always see her keeping an eye out on the kids that roam into the shop alone. She's met Cora before when her father came here on holiday; she loves her. Besides, Cora will be excited to see a familiar face."

Rose nodded, tossing the idea around in her head. "O-okay, she caved. "But if Lucille can't be bothered right then you need to bring her back home to be quickly."

"Yes, ma'am," Jack replied in a thick Southern accent, kissing her lips gently.

"Alright, Cora, you need to hurry and get dressed," Jack said loudly as they re-entered the kitchen.

Cora looked up at them and smiled. "Where are we going?"

Rose knelt beside her, taking the empty breakfast bowl and smoothing the end of her nightdress.

"You're going with Jack to visit and old friend while I handle some things around the house. Is that ok?"

"Yeah, but who's the old friend?" Cora asked, glancing up at Jack.

Jack knelt at her other side and grinned. "I'm going to take you to visit Miss Lucille for a bit while I go to my interview. Is that alright?"

"_Miss Lucille!" _She jumped out of her chair. "Jack, I love her!"

Jack laughed as Rose took Cora's wrist gently. Unable to control some of her 'lady-like' ways, Rose scolded the child softly: "Cora, calm down. You musn't jump up so fast or you'll send the chair flying!"

Cora blushed. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Rose smiled. "Let's go get you dressed and pull your hair back into a braid."

Cora followed Rose into the bedroom and sat down as she was asked to on the bed. Rose quickly made her presentable, apologizing for jumping down her throat so quickly. Cora had smiled and assured her that her feelings weren't hurt; that her father had always reminded her to be proper to, and that it had reminded her of him.

"You know," Cora began, staring at her and Rose's reflection together in the mirror. "My Dad would be happy you and Uncle Jack are keeping me now. He'd know that I'm in good hands."

Rose placed the braid on the side of her head, resting on her shoulder. Cora reached up to run her fingers along the knots.

"That means a lot to me, Cora. I hope you're happy here."

"Who couldn't be happy with you and Jack?" She asked brightly before standing.

Rose smiled as she watched the girl run into the kitchen to find her uncle.

"I have a few people who I'm not sure would be," she whispered to herself.

**Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed that chapter! Please review! I am super excited to see what you guys thought of this shocking filler chapter. ****_The question for next chapter is: Would you like to read more about Rose/her thoughts and read the letter she writes to her mother, or see Jack's interview, and Cora seeing Lucille again?_**

**Blessings,**

**Sarah.**


	22. Chapter 22

Rose held the paper and pen in a vice grip- she suddenly couldn't move. The words she thought she should say all blurred together in her mind. She stood there for a moment, in limbo, wondering what she was really going to put in this letter that would fix anything. She knew she couldn't mend the relationship her and her mother had, or, _didn't _have at this point, but she thought it was still right to send her consolation. It was still proper to make sure that she was okay…She was her _mother _after all. Pulling out the chair and taking a seat at the small, wooden desk, she smoothed the paper and sat still for only another moment before beginning.

_Mother,_

_The first thing I saw in the paper today was the obituaries. Ironically, I always check there just be sure your name isn't on the list…I don't know why. I suppose it is because deep down, I worry about you every-day. Sometimes, I even miss you. Isn't it right for a girl to have her mother deeply involved in her life? A woman, even, should never be without such a matron. Yet here I am. Husband, child, and all, (it is a very long story and one I don't wish you share with you right now), trying to show the, what a proper wife and mother should be. What hurts, is that I don't know __**what **__it should be. I'm re-learning how to be a woman, mother; a proper woman. I am trying to no avail to change the patterns you taught me, but already I have felt the need to take such care of Jack, like the kitchen is my only place…I have scolded my daughter once already in the way you would have scolded me. The lifestyle you have imbedded in me is just that: imbedded. It will not leave; I cannot live any other way…It's how I was raised; it's how I feel sure I will remain, but hopefully to only some extent. I feel like my first-nature is the wrong one. I find myself second guessing everything I say and do, because I don't want to act like a 'proper woman'. I want to be a loving woman, and I wish I could stress that to you as strongly as I feel it inside of me. But enough about me; I wrote this letter because I wanted to hear about you. I am not trying to gain your approval, or set up a weekly correspondence. I am not even trying to heal out relationship at this point…But none of that means that I don't love you and think of you often. I miss how you were when Dad was in the picture; I miss the mother that you were to me that I am trying to now be for my own daughter. I'm sorry our lives took such a drastic turn, mother, but I am happy Cal took care of you, as did Nathan, as much as I despised the like of them. I do hope you aren't brushed to the side during this time of tragedy, and I wish you happiness. I'd wish you prosperity, mother, but I have come to find that monetary value, is of no value to me any longer. _

_I do love you, mother, and you can write back if you wish. I hope to explain the small points of this letter in detail to you one day, but for now, I must get back to my little family, and my small house. Yes, it's small without the money, but our love makes it a home. I hope now without Cal and Nathan, you too can have a true home, mother._

_Your daughter, _

_ Rose. _

Taking one last glance over the words she had just written, she felt free; lighter than before. With the words in front of her, she finally felt she was bigger than them. She folded the paper three times, making a long square that she could fit perfectly into the envelope lying next to her arm on the desk. Grabbing a stamp and consulting the address on the obituary to the estate, she sealed up the letter and prepared to take it down to the mailbox.

* * *

Jack held Cora's hand tightly as they crossed the street together, smiling down on her as they ran across the walk-way for pedestrians.

"Uncle Jack what happens if a car would have come?" Cora asked, looking up at him with interest.

"We would have run faster!" He laughed, still holding her hand as they walked the sidewalk.

"Does Lucille still work in the same shop?"

"She sure does. She is going to be so excited to see you again, Cora!"

"Does she know I'm coming?"

"No- it's a surprise."

Cora beamed then, continuing down the sidewalk with Jack. It was comforting to see another familiar face. She had known Jack for years, and she semi-knew Rose from Titanic, but Lucille was another person who she had seen over the past few years on various occasions, and she was glad to see her again. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the shop, and when they walked in Lucille immediately turned to the door, squealing in excitement.

"Jack you came back to visit me! Where's your girl? And," she looked down now and saw Cora. "_Cora!" _She knelt down to the child's level and Cora immediately ran into Lucille's arms. "_This can't be true!" _

"It is," Jack smiled. "Rose and I, well, we have custody of Cora now."

Lucille looked up into Jack's eyes as Cora held her tighter. Jack's eyes said it all, and no words were needed to be spoken for Lucille. She knew- it was obvious. She closed her eyes so as to prevent the tears of sadness she so badly wanted to shed for Cora's loving mother and father.

"I'm glad you two have custody," Lucille whispered. "She needs someone that will love her and lead her correctly. You two will do that, I'm sure."

"We plan to," Jack agreed.

There was a moment of silence before Cora pulled away and said excitedly: "Uncle Jack has a job interview today! Down at the market that sells paintings! He may draw his own to sell there!"

Lucille grinned. "Really? What time?"

"In about 30 minutes, actually," Jack responded, consulting his watch.

"Well surely you aren't bringing Cora with you?" Lucille pressed on, giving him no time to reply. "She can stay here, with me. I'd be glad to watch her."

Jack smiled. "That would be _incredibly _helpful, Lucille, thank you."

"Don't mention it. It's the market on the outside of town?"

"Second to farthest down," Jack replied. "The small one, near the villa."

"You better get going then, son!"

Jack grinned, turning to run out the door. Groaning he turned back around and ran to give Cora and hug and ruffle her hair.

"Sorry, kiddo," he addressed Lucille. "Now I'm going. Thank you!" He said, kissing her hand before running out the door for good this time.

Lucille just laughed and stood, taking Cora's hand.

"Come on, dear. I will give you some things to draw with that way you can show Uncle Jack your creations when he returns. Make sure to say a prayer for him- having this job is quite important."

Cora smiled. "I've been praying all morning for him, Miss Lucy. He seems so excited about this job. I hope he gets it."

"Me too, dear. Looking out for you and Rose requires money. He needs to have a profession of sorts. Speaking of Rose, how do you like her? Is living with your Uncle Jack fun?"

Cora nodded her head as Lucille offered her a seat in the backroom that stood in front of a large table.

"I love Rose. She's so sweet. Uncle Jack is, how did my daddy say it, _head over heels _for her."

Lucille laughed, dusting off a bin of various colored charcoal pencils. Cora took the bin with a quiet 'thank-you', and began thinking of what picture to draw.

"Are Jack and Rose planning a wedding?" Lucille asked over her shoulder as she rummaged for the paint kit she knew she had somewhere.

"They're already married," Cora responded.

"Really?" Lucille asked, smiling. "They are?"

"Yes," Cora said, focusing on the paper in front of her.

"I will have to remember to offer Jack my congratulations. It seems he has a straight head on these days."

"Hasn't he always?" Cora laughed, glancing up at Lucille.

Lucille smirked as she handed Cora a few canisters of paint and a brush.

"Yes, he has. I just mean that he's a grown-up now. You will be on day too. Let me get you some water for that brush, dear, it's a little stiff."

* * *

"Mr. Dawson your work is exponential; absolutely marvelous."

"Thank-you," Jack offered, loosening his tie as he moved nervously in his seat.

"I find your pieces very worthy of our business. Your pieces would surely make much more money than the ones we sell now- you would gain an exceptional amount of pay."

Jack nodded. "I can't dispute that."

The older man chuckled, handing Jack his tattered portfolio. "No one can dispute high pay, Mr. Dawson. You would deserve it."

"I appreciate that, Mr. Fields. This job would be a great honor to me."

Mr. Fields glanced up at Jack over his glasses. "I know it would be, Mr. Dawson…Which is why I'm giving it to you."

It took everything Jack had in him not to let his country-man come out and jump up to holler in excitement right then. Instead, he let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding and grinned from ear to ear as he shook Mr. Field's hand roughly.

"Thank you so much, sir. You won't regret this."

"I don't believe I will," Mr. Fields mused, grinning. "You begin next Sunday afternoon."

"Sunday is perfect. I'll be here at 12 sharp, sir."

"I expect at least 3 pieces done every-day; all originals. We won't sell duplicates. You get more money for one limited edition piece. You will have eight hour shifts. Your profit will be 50% of whatever the paintings cost. Say you sell it for $200, you get $100, and I get $100."

"That's more than I could have hoped for, Mr. Fields. I am so grateful, thank-you."

"No, thank-you, Mr. Dawson," Mr. Fields commented as they both stood. "I have been waiting for an artist like you for a long, _long_ time."

Jack gave the man one last smile before exiting the room, and Mr. Fields watched him leave before shutting the door behind him again.

* * *

Jack walked down the street with the widest of grins on his face. Excitement mounted inside of him as he thought of all the drawings he could go home and do this week, ready to bring them in so that he had a head start for Sunday. He prided himself in his drawings and he wanted to give Mr. Fields the most tedious and beautifully detailed ones. He had never been this excited to start a job before. He supposed it was because he had never liked any of his other jobs before. Sure, he was able to draw, but they told him what to draw; when it was due. He had no free reign. No eight hours to produce whatever pieces he wished. He could prove himself now.

He could prove himself to Mr. Fields and prove himself to Rose. The money he would bring in made him happy; he knew that Rose didn't care about being pampered anymore or having tons of money, but he wanted to keep the roof over their heads; buy Cora new clothes, and show Rose that she could indeed be pampered without feelings guilty.

It was time; time for all three of them…To have a new beginning.

* * *

**Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I had a great, great time writing it, and it is longer than normal so I hope that made you all happy! Please review! And I know that sounds like and ending, but it isn't! I will still be updating it for at least a few more chapters. It just didn't feel like it could be close to being done yet, so I m not completing it as of right now.**

**The question for next chapter is pretty free-reign: ****_What would you like to see next, and how long should I continue this story for?_**

**God Bless,**

**Sarah. **


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